The new contract is at least 120 million? The Rockets have not renewed Ethan s contract! Promote new players quickly! Or find a stand-in

It was previously reported that the Rockets may renew Durant early in a few weeks, and Durant's contract is expected to be a new two-year contract of 120 million. In this way, Durant has one more contract next season, plus a new two-year contract, which means that the Rockets will have Durant for at least three years. When Durant's contract expires, he will also become a veteran who is over 40 years old. Although I don’t know whether Durant will participate in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, the Rockets may part ways with Durant by then. After all, the Rockets cannot regard a 40-year-old star as the core.

At that time, young players such as Shin Kyung, Amen Thompson, and Smith Jr. would quickly grow into first-tier stars, so Durant has become an optional player for the Rockets. The 40-year-old Durant seems to be no longer in the Rockets' plan, and there are even reports that the Rockets will renew Ethan before leaving Durant and renewing his contract. But so far, the Rockets have only renewed Jabbarry Smith Jr. with a new five-year, 122 million yuan contract, and Ethan's contract renewal does not seem to have made much progress.

You should know that Ethan's strength is not worse than Smith, it is just a different type of player, but as a young player in the 2022 class, Ethan is also very important to the Rockets. But it has to be said that if the Rockets want to keep Durant, they will need to renew their contract with a maximum salary next summer, with a 22-year-old forward Amen Thompson, there will be no room for Ethan to renew his contract again. The Rockets will even surpass the first hard salary cap and pay more expensive luxury taxes, which is unbearable for Rockets boss Fertitta.

If the Rockets can win the championship next season, then Fertitta may pay more luxury taxes and be willing to retain this winning lineup; if the Rockets still don't see hope for winning the championship next season, then the Rockets are unlikely to continue to stay Ethan, because now the Rockets have some signs that they may have found a better substitute on the front line and a way to replace Ethan. For example, the Rockets have admitted that they will quickly promote new defender Shepard in the new season. In this way, the Rockets can form a combination of Van Vreet and Shepard in the backcourt, and Amen Thompson can return to the power forward position he is most familiar with.

, and the Rockets also signed Finney Smith, the 32-year-old striker has signed for four years, which also means that even if the Rockets give up Ethan in the future, their forwards will still have Durant, Finney Smith, Amen Thompson, and Jabbarry Smith Jr. Shepard will support the backcourt, and he is also the focus of training for the Rockets in the No. 1 and No. 2 positions in the future.

If the Rockets keep Ethan with a new contract, then Amen Thompson may not be able to stay with the Rockets in the future. Some experts even analyzed that Ethan's next contract is bigger than Smith's next contract - Smith's contract is $120 million for five years, and Ethan's contract may exceed this price.

If the Rockets use another contract to keep Ethan, then Thompson may not be able to stay with the Rockets in the future. Ethan's contract will not be too small, and even without Ethan, the Rockets' forward strength will not decline much. Among the three star forwards, Durant, Amen Thompson and Tari Ethan, the Rockets may only be left with two at most.

If you want to keep three people, Fertita will pay more luxury taxes, which is absolutely unacceptable for the Rockets boss who has always been very careful and spends half a penny. Therefore, Amen Thompson, Smith Jr. and Finney Smith are all key players who can replace Ethan in the future.