$100 million offer rejected. Rockets face tough decision to retain versatile Eason or risk losing his defensive spark and sharpshooting prowess.
It seems Tari Eason and the Rockets weren’t able to reach an agreement before the rookie extension deadline. He will enter the next offseason as a restricted free agent.
According to multiple reports, like Bleacher Report, Houston offered Eason a deal worth more than $100 million, but the two sides couldn’t agree on terms before the clock ran out. Houston’s facing a tough decision now- how much are they willing to pay to keep him?
On Friday, the Houston Rockets exercised their team options to officially lock in Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard through the 2026-27 season. Locking in Thompson and Sheppard was a no-brainer, as they’re young and inexpensive- and they’ve already proven clear potential this season.
Still, there’s no doubt that losing Eason would hurt. Ime Udoka clearly trusts him too much to lose his presence, especially with how often Houston leans on their bench for defensive support.
Very few players can contribute on both ends of the court the way that Eason has so far this season. He’s versatile on defense and is a sharpshooter- currently shooting at 51.2-percent from the field and sinking threes at 57.1-percent accuracy, per StatMuse.
StatMuse also shows that in the 2024-25 season he exhibited remarkable defensive capability, averaging 4.4 defensive rebounds per game in limited playtime. He’s also been aggressive and effective on man-to-man and forcing turnovers at an elite average of 1.7 per game.
Rockets fans shouldn’t panic just yet. Restricted free agency gives the Rockets leverage, but this time next year, Eason does have the option to move on.