The Houston Rockets enjoyed a spending spree new contracts for Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr. and Fred VanVleet. On Monday, Houston was hit with a show of contrractual restraint.
Houston did not come to agreement on a rookie-scale contract extension with forward Tari Eason before 6 p.m. C.T. deadline on Monday, a source confirmed to Chron. ESPN’s Shams Charania was the first to report Monday’s news. Eason is now slated to become a restricted free-agent after the 2025-26 season. The Rockets will be able to match any contract offer for Eason then next summer, or allow him to leave for another team in free agency.
Eason aimed to join Smith as the second Houston young player this season to sign a contract extension, following Smith, his fellow 2022 draftee who agreed to a five-year, $122 million extension in June. However, Eason’s extension negotiations turned out to be more complex than Smith’s.
Eason, 24, is a standout defender and a passable, improving offensive player, averaging 12 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last year on 48.7 percent shooting from the field and a respectable 34.2 percent from three. When on the court, Eason is an impressive player, a turnover-forcing machine who thrived as an off-the-bench role over the past three seasons. Unfortunately for Eason, the above caveat is important to note. He played in just 22 games in 2023-24 due to a lower-leg injury, totaling only 57 games in 2024-25.
The LSU player’s three NBA seasons so far suggest he will be a reliable contributor for years to come, an above-average rotation player who could earn around $20 million per year with his next deal. For Houston, the current sample size is still too small. The Rockets seem to want an additional year of performance data from Eason before making a major financial commitment. Meanwhile, a complicated situation could develop for head coach Ime Udoka.
Eason spoke in September about aiming for a “more elevated role,” noting he believes he was snubbed from ESPN’s NBA Top 100 rankings released this summer. The LSU product added that his “numbers match up pretty well” with other Top 100 players, with lower counting stats for Eason mainly due to fewer minutes and shot attempts than some of his similarly regarded peers. Eason can bristle at the outside perception of his skill set all he wants, as a change in either the minutes allotted by Udoka or Eason’s position in Houston’s crowded offensive attack is unlikely.
What is the most likely outcome for Eason in 2025-26? To thrive again as a low-shots, high-minutes player off the bench, competing for Sixth Man of the Year on a team that wins over 50 games. This path would keep Eason in good standing with the Rockets and position him well for his upcoming free agency, where either the Rockets or another team will probably offer the $100 million deal Eason desires. The other possible route? Eason aims for more shots, more minutes and a grander showcase, forcing the hand of a Houston front office to consider making a move.
Houston might consider adjusting its roster before February’s trade deadline, especially at point guard. If the right trade opportunity comes up, Eason could be the player traded ahead of what will be a thorny free agency this summer.
