Tari Eason will soon get the chance to make Rockets regret prime offseason blunder

As the Houston Rockets await the return of one of their most impactful pieces, dynamic young forward Tari Eason, from an oblique strain he suffered in mid-November, the team can certainly stand to benefit from the jolt of energy and perimeter shooting he can reliably provide off the bench.

Yet, his return, in addition to the depth it will furnish the Rockets with, also could present a more precarious scenario. If he continues to perform at the same level he did early this season, Houston could soon be stuck with a soon-to-be restricted free agent who is rapidly inflating his value.

By no means was Eason's absence a positive development for the Rockets given the value he provides on a game-to-game basis. Yet, they will now be faced with a terrifying proposition upon his return. What if he plays his way out of Houston before the season has concluded?

Tari Eason will soon get the opportunity to earn prime value on his next contract

Over his first three seasons in the NBA, Eason quickly became one of the most beloved players on an emerging Rockets squad. Not only has he become a capable and multi-dimensional scorer, he is also one of the team's most energetic players and impactful defenders when he is on the court.

Therefore, when Houston failed to ink him to a contract extension before the start of this season, instead opting to solely tie down Kevin Durant on a multi-year deal, it came as quite the surprise.

With Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. having already signed their extensions, and Amen Thompson awaiting his turn this offseason, it would have made the most sense to lock Eason down at a reasonable number before he reached restricted free agency.

Moreover, despite a slow start to the season, Eason quickly illuminated just how potentially costly the Rockets' inaction was. Through his first 11 games, he averaged 11.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists while shooting 49.5% from beyond the 3-point line.

Given the inflated status of rookie extensions across the NBA in recent years, Eason could easily command somewhere near a $30 million AAV if these numbers hold across the course of a season, leaving Houston highly vulnerable to any offer sheets that some of the cap-space-heavy teams may decide to extend.

As it stands, the Rockets will only have $25 million standing between them and the first apron next offseason before they add anyone on the market.

While the organization will almost certainly do whatever they can to get a deal done, Eason will soon have the opportunity to make it exponentially more difficult.

While he ultimately did not play in their matchup on Monday against the Denver Nuggets, his return is clearly impending.