Rockets make stance on Tari Eason crystal clear if rumors are true

According to one source, the Houston Rockets have made their stance on Tari Eason abundantly clear when it comes to who they value as part of their long-term core. According to NBA Insider Marc Stein, the Rockets don't have any interest in moving the fourth-year wing.

Stein writes: If you're hoping your team makes a play for Houston's Tari Eason ... prepare to be disappointed. Word was emphatically conveyed Monday that any Eason speculation is off target and that the Rockets' fourth-year forward is not available to interested teams in advance of this deadline.

By all means, this is the correct stance for Houston to take. Eason has shown some impressive flashes this season. As he continues to develop and improve synergy with the rest of the roster, making a quick move to send him elsewhere would be a short-sighted decision that would almost certainly come back to bite the Rockets.

It's by far the better decision to keep Tari around and allow him to continue making an impact on winning basketball. In his starts this season, he's shown his value in continuing to be a lockdown guy defensively, bringing the intensity and being effective defending multiple positions.

The Rockets don't want to trade Tari Eason

When it comes to his offense, Eason still has plenty of room to grow. But the most encouraging thing has been that he's attacking and trying to remain aggressive. You can see it in how he approaches every possession, and this approach is slowly growing his confidence in his offensive game.

This is a player that's only going to continue leveling up and will keep looking like a true difference-maker on a nightly basis more consistently with time. For a Rockets team still sorting out which young pieces need to stay for the long haul, Eason has given the organization a lot of reason to be optimistic about him.

Tari plays with a physical edge and motor that translates regardless of the matchup, which is not something every developing roster can say about its young wings. That alone should be a deciding factor in why he deserves to remain with this team long-term.

Houston has spent years accumulating young talent, and the core will eventually be whittled down in some way, shape, or form. Players who compete hard and play their roles well tend to fit very well in a lot of situations, and Eason fits that profile cleanly. To be willing to trade him would be to ignore which traits actually lead to sustained winning.