Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr.intends to sign a five-year, $122 million rookie contract extension.
Rockets officials and Smith’s agent, Wallace Prather from LIFT Sports Management, worked together to finalize a fully guaranteed contract that lasts until the 2030-31 season.
The Rockets have a lot of faith in Smith, who was the No. 3 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, and both parties moved quickly to reach an agreement this offseason.
Smith was a key player in the young Rockets team that grew into a strong contender this past season, helping Houston secure the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference and its first playoff appearance in five years.
At 22 years old, Smith averaged 12.2 points and 7.0 rebounds during a season that was interrupted by a broken left hand in January. While he had trouble being consistent with his 3-point shooting, he showed his talent in the playoffs by hitting 45.5% of his shots from beyond the arc.
He is the only player from the 2022 draft class who has reached 2,500 points and 1,500 rebounds so far.
This agreement is part of a busy early offseason for Houston, which includes the major signing of Kevin Durant. While negotiating Durant’s trade, the Rockets consistently turned down requests from the Suns to include Smith, indicating that Smith is an important part of Houston’s future plans, according to sources.
Additionally, the Rockets have finalized contracts to keep Fred VanVleet, Jae’Sean Tate, Aaron Holiday, and Jeff Green while also extending deals for Steven Adams and coach Ime Udoka over the last two weeks.
