As the Houston Rockets attempt to furnish a young core, they have already extended both Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun: a pair of major successes for the team's front office.
Yet, a number of looming extensions, including those for Tari Eason, Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard, still remain in the distance, and, if Eason is able to earn his payday this year, there could ultimately be no room for the team to retain Sheppard when the time comes.
While Sheppard is only entering his second season, and his new contract is still a rather long way off, the team will be further limited in its financial flexibility with a Kevin Durant extension, and Eason earning what he is worth could leave the team tied up well beyond Sheppard's restricted free agency.