On September 18, 2026, Ausar Thompson went from a rookie-scale contract to a $155 million one. Two weeks earlier, his twin brother had gone to $208 million. Same draft, same age, same family. A $53 million gap.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Detroit Pistons forward agreed to a five-year, fully guaranteed rookie-scale extension, about $31 million a year. The Pistons announced the signing on September 22, per the Associated Press, with a post reading “Twin is locked in 🤝”. Neither the team nor those reports gave this season’s salary, and we couldn’t find a primary source for it, so we leave it out.
The Twin Math
Amen Thompson, the No. 4 pick in 2023 by Houston, signed a five-year, $208 million extension with the Rockets earlier in September, per NBA.com’s AP-credited write-up of Ausar’s deal. That averages $41.6 million a year against Ausar’s $31 million.
Charania noted that the twins are now the first pair of brothers in NBA history to each receive a $100 million deal. NBA.com puts their combined new money at $363 million this offseason. They were also the first twins selected in the top 10 of the same draft, with Ausar going fifth, from the Overtime Elite program.
Why the Gap
Nobody has said, and neither team had a reason to. But NBC Sports’ Kurt Helin gives the reading most of the market will reach: Ausar is the better defender, though Amen made an All-Defensive team two seasons ago, and Amen has more offensive production. Helin calls Ausar “a non-shooter” who can clog an offense, and describes the contract as “a bet on Thompson’s offensive game,” especially his outside shot. He shot 25% from three last season, which Helin calls an improvement.
That is the whole contract in a sentence. Detroit is paying for what is already elite and pricing in what isn’t there yet.
What Detroit Is Paying For
The elite part is real. Per NBA.com and ESPN, in 2025-26 Thompson averaged 9.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists, led the league with 2.0 steals per game, was named first-team All-Defense and finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He combined for 215 steals and blocks, the third most in the NBA, according to ESPN.
The playoffs made the case louder. In 14 games he averaged 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocks, and became the first player since Anthony Davis in 2020 with at least 25 steals and 25 blocks in one postseason, per both outlets. NBC Sports adds that the Pistons were 7.5 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor, and that he started 73 games for a team that won 60. Per the AP, Detroit made the playoffs for the first time since 2008 and lost Game 7 of the second round to Cleveland.
The Health Footnote
ESPN’s write-up recalls that Thompson was diagnosed with a blood clot in March 2024, which cut his season short. The NBA’s fitness-to-play panel cleared him about eight months later. A fully guaranteed five-year deal is, among other things, a statement that Detroit is comfortable with that history.
The Duren Problem
The Thompson extension doesn’t end Detroit’s summer. Both NBC Sports and ESPN report that restricted free agent Jalen Duren, an All-Star and All-NBA selection last season per NBC, remained unsigned, with the Pistons reportedly offering in the range of $190 million over five years and Duren reportedly wanting at least $40 million a season. At $31 million a year, Thompson’s deal is the cheaper of the two core commitments.
What We Don’t Know
There is no reliable net-worth figure for Ausar Thompson, and we won’t invent one. Option and trade-kicker details for his deal were not in the reports we opened, and we did not find a Pistons release with terms; the numbers are as reported by Charania and echoed across outlets. For where this deal sits against the league, see the 2026 Sports Contracts Tracker and the NBA salary cap explainer.
The Bottom Line
Ausar Thompson is the cleanest test of how the NBA prices defense. He made $155 million guaranteed without a reliable jump shot, which is more than most players with one will see. But his brother’s $208 million shows what the market pays when the offense shows up too. The distance between the two contracts is $53 million, and the jump shot is the most obvious place to look for it.
More from Absolute Baller:
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- Victor Wembanyama’s $252M Extension: Turned Down $50M
- Nikola Jokić Turned Down $278M — He Wants $359.5M Instead
- A’ja Wilson’s $5M Deal Is the Biggest in WNBA History
Frequently Asked
How much is Ausar Thompson's extension worth?
Five years and $155 million, fully guaranteed, per ESPN's Shams Charania on September 18, 2026. That averages $31 million a year. The Pistons announced the extension on September 22, according to the Associated Press, without that article stating the terms.
How does it compare with his twin brother Amen's deal?
Amen Thompson signed a five-year, $208 million extension with the Houston Rockets earlier in September, per NBA.com and ESPN. That is $53 million more than Ausar's deal. Together the twins are the first brothers in NBA history to each receive a $100 million deal, with $363 million combined.
Why is Ausar's deal smaller?
Neither team has said. What outlets note: NBC Sports' Kurt Helin writes that Amen has more offensive production, while Ausar is the better defender and a non-shooter who made 25% of his threes. Helin calls Ausar's contract a bet on his offensive game.
What did Ausar Thompson do last season?
He averaged 9.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists, led the NBA with 2.0 steals per game, made first-team All-Defense and finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting, per NBA.com and ESPN. Detroit won 60 games.
What is Ausar Thompson's net worth?
No outlet this site trusts has published a reliable figure, so we don't give one. What is documented: a rookie-scale deal as the No. 5 pick in 2023 and now $155 million in guaranteed extension money.