Rockets fans could be ready to say goodbye to franchise mainstay at trade deadline

The Houston Rockets have found their footing again after a disastrous mid-December stretch, stringing together a pair of convinving wins over the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

However, as the season wears on, it is slowly becoming clear that there is another echelon they need to reach in order to become a genuine championship contender. Accordingly, a major move at the trade deadline could be in order.

As painful as it might be to admit, the path to such a deal lies directly through dynamic young forward Tari Eason.

Since his return from the oblique strain that sidelined him for over a month, Eason has regained the excellent form he found to start the season. With his restricted free agency looming, Rockets fans may need to prepare to say goodbye to one of their most beloved players.

Tari Eason is quickly becoming the Rockets' most painfully necessary trade chip

Over his first three seasons, Eason quickly emerged as a vital force to Houston's energetic and defensive-minded identity. He consistently provided extra juice off the bench for a team that was in the process of establishing their young core.

Now, however, it seems as though Eason may be the odd man out from a financial perspective. The Rockets moved quickly to extend Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. when their time came, and it is likely they will do the same for Amen Thompson.

With Tari Eason, however, the team surprisingly did not get an extension done before he reached the final season of his rookie contract. Houston reportedly offered over $100 million: a concerning fact assuming Eason balked at that number.

In the four games he has played since his return, Eason has averaged 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 43.8% from beyond the arc. This closely matches his early-season production.

In an ever-evolving market for restricted free agents, this type of play will likely net Eason somewhere around $30 million a year on his next contract. The Rockets are projected to have just $25 million between them and the first apron next offseason.

While the $5.6 million that Eason is on the books for this year will not be a piece to construct a massive deal around, he has the most value of any tradeable piece on the team this season.

It is by no means a bygone conclusion, but Eason's departure is looking more and more like a painfully real possibility as the season wears on.