Perhaps the most pressing question heading into the Houston Rockets’ offseason has been settled.
OK, fine. The question of whether they’d acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo was settled some time ago. In the realm of realism, fans had Tari Eason’s contract at the top of their minds.
Now, they can rest.
Eason will be back with the Rockets on a five-year, $81.5 million contract. This should be a tremendously team-friendly contract:
To disagree, you’d have to be out on Eason entirely.
Rockets retain Eason on a steal of a contract
Granted, this season was
not Eason’s finest.
His True Shooting % (TS%) dropped from 56.7% to 51.4%. Eason’s efficiency was disappointing. He spent a solid portion of the season as one of the best shooters in the league, only to morph into one of the worst. The net result was underwhelming at best.
His Box Plus/Minus (BPM) of -1.6 was a free fall from the 3.6 he posted in 2024-25. So, it requires some optimism to invest in this contract.
Consider me an optimist.
Anyone can have a down year. Eason’s production was mostly on an upward trajectory since his rookie year. Last season was likely a mere blip.
Here’s the point: $16.3 million is below market value for the player Eason has been for the sum of his NBA career. A market never seemed to take shape for him in Restricted Free Agency (RFA), likely because the number of teams with cap space was limited.
It would be fair to note that Eason’s durability has been a concern. That said, he’s been dealing with a pre-existing benign bone growth (exostosis) on his lower left tibia (per Google). The growth has been removed, so hopefully it won’t be problematic anymore.
After all, it seems like Eason is a big part of the Rockets’ plans.
Rockets need Eason to maximize potential
Eason is the closest thing to Ime Udoka that Ime Udoka has in his rotation.*
*Yes, he’s better than Udoka ever was.
Wings that rack up steals and offensive rebounds are a rarity. Eason embodies the Rockets’ broader basketball philosophy. The hallmark of this team’s approach is to maximize possessions by virtue of pure, unadulterated hustle.
The 3-and-D wing is a near-mythological creature. Eason has the D part down to a science. If he can get his three-ball more consistent (and stay healthy), this will be one of the best contracts in the NBA.
Thank God we won’t be watching him do it on another team.
