Rockets’ Tari Eason extension decision all but confirmed

As the Houston Rockets enter the 2025-26 NBA season, they have two major financial situations on their plate: extensions for both offseason acquisition Kevin Durant and in-house developed player Tari Eason.

Eason, specifically, presents a major question looming over the Rockets this season as a result of their apparent decision to focus on his extension first, and, according to Fred Katz on the recent episode of The Zach Lowe Show, the organization could wait on a new contract given the possibility that Eason needs to be moved to bring in a new point guard.

With the devastating loss of veteran starter Fred VanVleet, the team's championship chances this season have now grown slimmer, and, as Katz points out, Eason could be the ideal trade piece to bring back a player that will help raise the ceiling of their offense tremendously.

The Rockets could wait to extend Tari Eason to keep their options open

Eason, through his three seasons in Houston, has grown into one of the coaching staff's most beloved players, playing with constant, electrifying intensity off the bench. Last season, through 57 games, Eason averaged 12 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists while playing rather significant minutes for a team that needed his services to maintain their depth.

Now, however, Katz has suggested that an extension for the young player might not be so simple, especially given the cap implications of the looming Durant extension: "I was more optimistic about Tari Eason before Fred VanVleet got hurt, because if Houston feels like they are... a legitimate point guard away from [contention], he's the guy [they would trade]."

Although the Rockets appear poised to allow either Amen Thompson or second-year guard Reed Sheppard to take over starting point guard responsibilities this season, neither of these players have serious experience leading an NBA offense, and it is quite possible that this team could be a viable point guard away from being one of the best teams in the league come December or January.

Eason, as both a promising young player and a player with an expiring contract, would be one of the lone pieces they could trade to bring back that sort of value, and, as Katz points out, it is not entirely out of the realm of possibility that the organization would be willing to trade him to fill this need.

Yet, after having already extended Jabari Smith Jr. rather quickly into this past offseason, waiting on Eason's extensions could have serious ramifications. It would likely mean delaying a new contract for Durant well into the season, where he could grow disgruntled with the performance of the team if things go south and perhaps be more of a challenge to re-sign.

Therefore, while it remains the most likely outcome that extensions for Durant and Eason both get done, it has become an even more dicey proposition with the news of VanVleet's injury.