Tari Eason problem continues to haunt the Rockets

As the Houston Rockets enter the 2025-26 NBA season, their largest financial priority, extending soon-to-be restricted free agent Tari Eason, looms large over all of their future plans (including a potential Kevin Durant extension).

As a result of these ongoing negotiations, it remains highly unlikely that Eason will be allowed to take on a starting role, a development that would make negotiations exponentially more contentious, limiting the Rockets' strength in the ability of lineup combinations they are able to put forward in the absence of Fred VanVleet.

Through the first half of their preseason slate, Houston and head coach Ime Udoka have shown a willingness to experiment heavily with their rotation, and, as the team attempts to figure out how best to support star players Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun throughout the course of the season, it is likely that this trend will continue. Yet, as long as Eason is due for an extension, he will likely be confined to his bench role.

Tari Eason's role will be confined as a result of his ongoing contract negotiations

Last season, through 57 games, Eason continued in his role as the team's most dynamic bench player, averaging 12 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 48.7% from the floor. Yet, as a result of various injuries and experimentations on the part of the coaching staff, Eason still managed to start 16 games in that span, posting a +7.4 plus-minus in those games and averaging 15.1 points.

As the team attempts to rebound from their devastating loss of VanVleet, they will need to get increasingly creative in the manner in which they deploy their plethora of wings in order to ensure they are still fielding a viable unit on both sides of the ball on a night-in, night-out basis.

Yet, Eason's restricted free agency throws a bit of a wrench in things. The Rockets have already extended two vital pieces of their young core in Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr., and, while Eason presents the immediate concern for the front office, extensions for Durant and Amen Thompson are not all that far off.

Therefore, although Eason probably deserves somewhere close to the value that Smith earned on his rookie extension, the organization, frankly, cannot afford to give that to him and maintain their financial flexibility moving forward.

If Eason were to prove himself as a starter for this team in the front court alongside Durant, his leverage in these ongoing negotiations could skyrocket, and, despite the potential benefit this development could provide, the front office cannot afford that at this point.

Therefore, in more ways than one, Eason's looming extension will have a major effect on the Rockets as they enter the season.