With former 3rd overall draft pick, Jabari Smith Jr. still finding his way in this league, he runs the risk of getting outplayed. Explore the possibility of him getting a demotion, with Tari Eason taking his spot.
After piling up multiple lottery draft picks over years of tanking, the Houston Rockets aren’t in as great of a position as many would be expecting. Despite never getting the number one pick, from 2021 to 2024, the lottery balls never fell lower than fourth overall for Rafael Stone. The front office was even lucky enough to get Reed Sheppard in a previous trade with the Brooklyn Nets.
Unfortunately, their highest draft pick from that rebuilding phase was already sent out the door when Jalen Green got traded for Kevin Durant. That’s a trade anyone would agree to, but that’s also only because Green wasn’t a generational talent. He wasn’t a superstar, or even on an All-Star trajectory. The same can be said about Jabari Smith Jr., who was drafted third overall in 2022.
That makes him the longest lasting lottery pick to this point, but I’m a little concerned he could see a similar fate to Jalen Green. They were both given plenty of opportunities with starting roles from day one, but unfortunately didn’t prove to be stars.
Now this team has Şengün and Durant as All-Stars, with Amen Thompson hoping to get there soon. It feels like that’s out of the question for Smith Jr., but it doesn’t seem as if he knows it. As previously covered on Roundtable, he looks more concerned with being a star, rather than just a 3&D guy. I personally don’t think that’s good for the team.
If he can’t maximize his role on this team, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Rafael Stone look to move his 5-year $122 million contract. That’s obviously easier said than done, but the Charlotte Hornets reportedly had interest in him, as seen on Roundtable.
A more realistic option would be making a change to the starting lineup. We still don’t know exactly which five will be rolled out there for tip-off, but I feel confident that Jabari will be in the front-court with Durant and Şengün. What if Tari Eason is having a healthy season and shooting lights out like at the beginning of last season, though?
Could he earn that starting spot over time? He did start in more than half of the games last season (34/60), per Basketball-Reference. Both he and Jabari Smith Jr. were drafted back in 2022, and are both playing in the first year of new five-year contracts.
While the politics of the league essentially handed the higher draft pick more money and a bigger role, they don’t feel that far apart. I wouldn’t be surprised if the front office is looking to move on from the more expensive player, and keep Tari Eason.
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