The NBA announced on January 8 that Rockets center Alperen Sengun had been named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played from Monday, January 1 through Sunday, January 7. Sengun is the first Rocket to have won the award since James Harden in November 2019; he is the youngest Rocket in franchise history to win the award, at just 21 years old.

For the week, the Rockets went 3-1 with Sengun averaging a team high 24.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals. For the season, Sengun is averaging 21.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.09 steals per game, while shooting 53.7% from the floor. He joins Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic as the only players in all of basketball averaging at least 21.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game for the season.

Sengun has emerged this season as the first option for Ime Udoka’s Rockets. He has a usage of 27.9%, up from 21.4% last season. Udoka has been vocal all season about demanding more from the Turkish big man. The Rockets look to get Sengun the ball either in the post or in open space as the roll man in pick and roll action where he can attack slower big men off the dribble, using an assortment of moves and his soft touch at the basket.

Per the rules of the league’s collective bargaining agreement, the Rockets can sign Sengun to a contract extension as early as this summer. The 21-year-old is in the third year of his rookie contract, earning just $3.53 million. The Rockets exercised their option on the fourth year on Sengun’s contract back on October 30, 2023. If the Rockets are unable to reach terms on an agreement for an extension with Sengun, he can enter restricted free agency in 2025.

The Rockets can pay Sengun an amount up to 25% of the salary cap. A rookie scale extension can for up to five seasons.

If the Rockets were to extend Sengun at his maximum salary, it would serve as quite the turn of events. The team heavily pursued Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez in free agency this past summer. Presumably, Lopez would have assumed the starting center role.