Tari Eason can leave the Rockets in a nightmare position with one simple development

As the Houston Rockets enter the 2025-26 NBA season, their first priorities must be contract extensions for young forward Tari Eason and the newly acquired Kevin Durant, cementing their championship-worthy core for seasons to come.

Yet, Eason, who has already likely proven to be more valuable than what the Rockets can afford at this point, can make their situation even worse by continuing his strong performance into the start of the season, showing that he can continue to lead a revived bench unit and be a disruptor on defense.

If Eason, 22, is able to prove his enduring value within Houston's early regular season schedule, he may have an amount of leverage in negotiations that will be difficult for the organization to overcome, and the amount he deserves could make the team's financial restrictions even tighter going forward.

Tari Eason being the leader of the bench unit could skyrocket his value

Through his three years with the organization, Eason has become a solid contributor off the bench, averaging 10.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists through 161 games with the team.

Yet, his most valuable contributions often do not come across on the stat sheet. What has made Eason so valuable to the Rockets, and endeared him so strongly to head coach Ime Udoka, is his ability to play strong defense and anchor the team's bench unit, contributing heavily to the hard-nosed style of play the organization has aimed for to this point.

Now, as the team attempts to make a run at a championship with Durant on their roster, Eason's services will only become more vital. With a bench unit that will now likely be comprised of some combination of Steven Adams, Clint Capela, Reed Sheppard, Dorian Finney-Smith and Jabari Smith Jr., Eason will not only be depended on more as an interior scorer but also as a perimeter defender.

It is reasonable to expect that he will desire an extension around Smith's five-year, $122 million deal, and it is difficult to argue, from Houston's perspective, that he does not deserve that level of compensation.

By all reporting, the Rockets are attempting to get an Eason extension done as soon as possible in order to move on to the more arduous process of a potential extension for Durant. Yet, if negotiations drag into the season, and Eason continues to perform, Houston could have no choice to pay him what he deserves, leaving the prospect of a near-max extension for Durant somewhat dicey.