Rockets' Tari Eason situation is unravelling into a nightmare

The Houston Rockets have not extended Tari Eason yet. They need to make him feel valued before it's too late.

Lately, Eason's social media activity has been troubling. That's not a knock on him. He's been voicing discontent over being left off ESPN's Top 100 list:

And he's entirely right.

You know that. You're a Rockets fan. The Rockets had better know it, too. Eason is a top-100 player in this league by any measure:

Rest assured, he knows it.

Rockets' Eason feels snubbed by new list

Eason posed a simple question on social media:

"Who makes these lists?"

Well, ESPN. The question is: How did they overlook Eason?

RJ Barrett rounds out the list at 100. Stephon Castle comes in next at 99th.

Let's skip ahead. Even if ESPN is factoring durability into their equation, there are at least 20 players Eason should be ahead of on this list. It's a snub by any measure.

Last year, his 3.3 steals per 100 possessions ranked fourth in the NBA. Eason had a 3.6 Box Plus/Minus (BPM). This is a top-tier wing defender who also provides some scoring punch.

Ultimately, it should be seen as inconsequential. Ranking the 100 best players in the NBA is no small task. Mistakes will be made. ESPN likely just overlooked a young bench wing who's spent too much time on the injury report.

The Rockets can't afford to make the same mistake.

Rockets must value Eason

The timing here could not be worse. If you haven't heard, Eason is eligible for a rookie scale extension as we speak.

The Rockets' books are getting messy. It's a consequence of accumulating so much talent. Kevin Durant will need an extension soon. Alperen Sengun, Fred VanVleet, and (arguably) Jabari Smith Jr. are all on below-market deals, but they're still considerably large. The Rockets need to keep room on the sheet for Amen Thompson above all else.

They still need to prioritize Eason.

It wouldn't be controversial to say that he's been more impactful than Smith Jr. so far. Eason's injury history will factor into his negotiations, but his undeniable production should as well. ESPN can overlook Eason, but Rafael Stone cannot.

For now? Eason should use this as fuel. He's more than capable of showing the world that he belongs on this list. If he can stay healthy, who knows how high Eason could rank ahead of 2026-27?

He'd better be entering the season as a Rocket.