Rockets may have no choice but to draw hard line on Tari Eason contract

Tari Eason is officially headed for restricted free agency. He has not been shy about wanting an increased role with whatever team he signs his next contract with, and he is also reportedly looking to be paid as a starter.

Those are reasonable requests from Eason. He just turned 25 years old and has shown Rockets fans that he can play quality defense while averaging double-digit points. The main questions entering Tari Eason’s free agency are: will there be a team out there that is willing to give Eason what he wants, and if there is, should Houston match a potential offer sheet?

Will a team give Tari Eason the contract he wants?

To answer the first question, who knows? There are a few teams with enough cap space to give Eason a contract to his liking, but any team willing to do that would be taking a risk. If Eason gets starter money but produces like the same high-end role player he was in Houston, that contract would become an overpay.

Could a team that has been stuck in a multi-year rebuild like Brooklyn or Utah be willing to take that risk? Absolutely. Maybe a contender with a path to creating cap space, like the Los Angeles Lakers, would also be interested. Tari Eason is exactly the type of player who would thrive next to Luka Doncic.

There will definitely be teams interested in Eason this offseason. We will see if any are willing to take a risk that Eason can increase his level of production in a larger role.

Should Houston match a Tari Eason offer sheet?

Since Eason is a restricted free agent, the Rockets can match any contract he signs. If a team does decide to pay Eason $25-$30 million per year, should Houston match the offer sheet?

The Rockets have been smart with the contracts they have handed out. They convinced Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant to sign extensions below the maximum. That will help them make future moves.

However, with nine players signed to a contract for next season, Houston is about $17 million away from the luxury tax. Matching an offer sheet for Tari Eason approaching $30 million would push this team into the tax and limit its ability to fix other parts of the roster.

Losing Eason would hurt, but if Houston enters next year's playoffs with the same flaws that led to this year’s playoff disappointment, then fans will have a right to be upset. Signing Eason to a contract in the range of $15-$20 million annually or trading him in a sign-and-trade are Houston’s two best options.

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