Amen Thompson
Amen Thompson is a full-time Rockets starter and a two-way hub for the rest of the season, with a role that is secure but whose ball-handling share depends on who else is healthy.
Role
Per ESPN's player page, which includes his 10/31 game log, he has played 7 games this season at 33.9 minutes, 16.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists. His recent minutes ranged from 28 to 39. NBA.com's Rockets fantasy news, dated 2 days ago, has him in the first unit on Saturday with Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith, Alperen Sengun and Marcus Smart. Smart started because Fred VanVleet (rest) and Reed Sheppard (back) were out. A BALLERS.PH piece says he started all 79 games he played in 2025-26 and led the NBA in minutes. I did not find a published minutes cap or a back-to-back rest plan for him. Our supplied last-season line shows 7 GP, which disagrees with that report, so I am not leaning on it.
The front office signed him to a five-year, $208 million extension, and BALLERS.PH calls him one of the franchise's cornerstones. He has started and carried heavy minutes with extra ball-handling when VanVleet was out. Roundtable's preseason preview called him a clear starter with or without an extension. His defensive and rebounding output, plus the steals and assists, give him a high floor.
His outside shooting remains a weakness: 28.6% from three on about 1 attempt per game this season, per ESPN and be-basketball. The 10/31 game against OKC was 8 points on 37.5% shooting in 28 minutes. With VanVleet healthy, Roundtable's preview said his ball-handling could be limited and he could be pushed back to a wing role. The roster is deep (Durant, Sengun, Smith, Smart, Sheppard), so his usage can be capped when everyone plays. Last season's heavy minutes also raise a question about how much load management the team will use.
Where analysts split
The open question is how much ball-handling Thompson keeps once VanVleet is fully back. Roundtable's preview raised the possibility of a wing role, while the recent reporting I found shows him starting regardless. I did not find a current beat-writer or The Athletic piece that settles it, so this rests on a preview and short news items.
Research confidence: thin. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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