At 28 years old, Danuel House Jr. is nearly a decade older than Houston’s recent first-round draft picks (Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Usman Garuba, and Josh Christopher). Nonetheless, House doesn’t appear to be concerned about his fit with the suddenly rebuilding Rockets.

In response to a Houston Chronicle column exploring House’s fit with the team and a suggestion that he should be traded to a more imminent NBA title contender, House quickly downplayed the notion. “No, trust me,” he wrote, accompanied by a laughing and crying emoji.

To House’s point, if the Rockets return to playoff contention by 2023 or 2024, he would only be 30 or 31 at that time. That’s well within the potential prime years of NBA players, so it’s not as if general manager Rafael Stone will have his hand forced. It’s entirely possible that House could still be in peak form when Houston is next ready to contend.

An athletic 6-foot-6 forward with proficient 3-point shooting and defensive versatility, House is entering the final season of his current contract. Ultimately, it’s that contract — rather than age — that could be the most important variable for Stone to consider.

The Athletic’s Kelly Iko reports that House’s agency representation recently spoke with the team, presumably about a potential extension.

“Houston’s view on their rotation extension-eligible players has always been the same,” Iko writes. “The Rockets would love to have House around at a number that makes sense for them. It’s up to House and his internal valuation of himself, at that point.”

If the Rockets and House are in alignment on his financial value, a deal could potentially be struck before the 2021-22 season. If not, Stone may feel compelled to consider trade proposals prior to the February 2022 deadline, rather than risk losing House for nothing in free agency.

Ultimately, the key variable for House’s future in Houston appears to be financial, as opposed to anything related to age or on-court fit.