Rockets would have to consider heartbreaking new Tari Eason trade proposal

The Houston Rockets would break their fans' hearts if they traded Tari Eason. If Jared McCain is available, they may have to consider making a move. Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley recently proposed a straight swap of the two players.

Let's be clear - this is likely the realm of fantasy. The Sixers are unlikely to move McCain after the promise he showed as a rookie. Moreover, the Rockets may consider Eason too integral to their identity.

I can't even bring myself to say the Rockets should do this deal. Yet, I can't bring myself to say they shouldn't either. Prepare yourselves for some fence sitting:

This one doesn't have a clear answer.

Rockets could acquire a young potential star

Let's start by talking about McCain's rookie year. It was sensational. McCain averaged 15.3 points per game with a 58.9 True Shooting % (TS%) in 23 games. Yet, that's the problem:

McCain only played 23 games.

He's suited up three times in his sophomore season. Durability is an issue for McCain. OK - but it's been an issue for Eason as well. It's not a moot point - McCain's injuries have been more troubling than Eason's - but it's not a lone reason to avoid this deal.

If you want to make the case for Eason, it comes on the floor. Last year, the young wing had a 3.6 Box Plus/Minus (BPM). That's down to 1.8 this year, but that comes with a small sample size caveat. Moreover, Eason is hitting an absurd 53.1% of his triples this year. That's also a small sample stat, but if he's a high-accuracy, medium-volume three-point shooter, he becomes infinitely valuable in light of everything else he does well.

Unfortunately, that's part of the problem too.

Rockets' Eason is soon due for a payday

If Eason keeps playing as well as he has, he could price himself out of Houston.

Yes, he'll have to go through Restricted Free Agency (RFA). The Rockets will have an opportunity to match any offer. That bolsters his odds of staying in Houston, but less so this summer than in summers past. A handful of teams will have significant cap space this offseason.

Could the Nets feel like blowing their money on Eason? What about the Hornets, who have historically overpaid to bring quality players to a subpar market? The Blazers are establishing a defensive identity - could they see Eason as their missing piece?

That's just three of ten teams with surplus cap space next summer. It only takes one to offer Eason a sum that the Rockets can't afford without Amen Thompson's services secured. Anything north of $30 million or so starts to feel like a burden on the Rockets' cap space.

None of which is to say the Rockets need to trade Eason for McCain.

His overlap with Reed Sheppard is concerning. That said, the Rockets could allow some internal competition and move whichever of the duo they like less. In a sense, making this deal would do little more than allow the Rockets to kick the can. It would be painful, but if it ultimately feels prudent, it might be the best course of action:

Even if it would break our hearts.