The Thompson twins are making NBA history for the second time together. In 2023, they became the first twins drafted in the top five. Amen was picked fourth, and Ausar was picked fifth. Although Amen admitted he “wasn’t expecting it,” Ausar had the confidence and “always believed” in the two of them. Turns out, that passion and drive weren’t new.

When they were 9-year-olds, they had something called “Amen & Ausar’s 6’9″ Dreams,” a vision board. In this story’s context, two things from the board stand out. A) Become the greatest NBA player of all-time and B) Become a multi-billionaire. It is safe to say that after both just signed well-deserved deals worth hundreds of millions, they’re on their way to greatness.

“Detroit Pistons All-Defensive forward Ausar Thompson has reached agreement on a five-year, $155 million rookie-scale contract extension,” ESPN insider Shams Charania reported. This comes just weeks after Amen secured an extension with the Rockets. Shams also shared another record the brothers have broken.

“Twins Ausar and Amen Thompson are now the first pair of brothers in NBA history to each receive a $100 million deal,” Charania posted on X. “They have signed for a total of $363 million this offseason.”

Earlier this month, Amen and Houston agreed to a five-year, $208 million rookie-scale extension. His contract also includes a 10% trade kicker. Meanwhile, his brother has landed a fully guaranteed extension with no optional years after making first-team All-Defense and finishing third in the DPOY voting last season.

Ausar averaged nearly 10 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.0 steals (first in the NBA), and 0.9 blocks per game. He also led the league in blocks and ranked third in steals (215). ESPN says Thompson is one of only three players with at least 300 steals and 150 blocks since entering the league.

The lucrative contracts they’ve signed give the Thompson twins a financial edge over several other NBA brothers. Here’s how.

Marcus and Markieff Morris also secured substantial contracts during their careers, but neither twin received a deal close to the Thompson brothers’. Marcus earned a four-year, $64 million deal with the Clippers in 2020, while Markieff signed a four-year, $32 million rookie-scale extension with Phoenix in 2014. Meanwhile, the Murray twins offer another striking contrast.

Keegan Murray, Sacramento’s No. 4 pick in 2022, agreed to a five-year, $140 million extension. But his twin brother Kris entered the NBA with Portland one year later and remains on his rookie-scale $14.3 million contract after moving to Memphis. Then there are Julian and Justin Champagnie.

Julian earned a three-year, $45 million extension from San Antonio, while Justin signed a four-year, $10 million contract with Washington in 2025. So the Thompsons hold the distinction, but their paths to those deals have been very different. Now that we know Ausar’s, let us look at Amen’s.

Amen established himself as a major two-way force for the Rockets last season. He averaged 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.5 steals while leading the NBA in total minutes with 2,953. His offensive development convinced Houston to make a massive investment in his future. Meanwhile, Ausar’s value has come primarily on the defensive end.

In the playoffs, he averaged 8.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocks across 14 games. He finished the postseason with 28 steals and 25 blocks, becoming the first player since Anthony Davis in 2020 to reach at least 25 in both categories!

Ausar’s new contract will likely ripple through Detroit’s locker room as training camp approaches, but the team has been unable to lock down one more key player long-term.

The Pistons’ roster puzzle isn’t fully done yet

The Pistons only have one more significant piece of business to complete this offseason. Jalen Duren, a restricted free agent, has until October 1 to accept a qualifying offer (one year, $9.6 million). The benefit is that he will enter unrestricted free agency in 2027. But the question is, does he want to?

Duren is eligible to ink a five-year, $287 million contract. He became supermax-eligible after earning a spot on the All-NBA Third Team last year. But Duren’s playoff drop-off has led the Pistons to offer him less than maximum value. ESPN says Detroit has “remained engaged” in talks ranging more than $190 million.

Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon has reportedly been in “concurrent” negotiations with both players who are considered priorities.

The good news is that Thompson’s extension begins in 2027-28, and the Pistons do have one of the league’s smallest cap numbers. But they have appeared to draw a line in the sand, because if Duren wishes to leave now, no team has the space to give him the maximum, which is externally capped at $177.4 million (four years).

Because Duren is a restricted free agent, the Pistons will have the first right to match an offer if one comes in (unlikely). Hence, they aren’t offering him more than $200 million in the first place… The qualifying offer remains the only barrier here, and Duren can essentially decide the Pistons aren’t worth his time and walk away, leaving the team getting nothing for him.