As the Houston Rockets enter the 2025-26 NBA season, their first priorities must be contract extensions for young forward Tari Eason and the newly acquired Kevin Durant, cementing their championship-worthy core for seasons to come.
Yet, Eason, who has already likely proven to be more valuable than what the Rockets can afford at this point, can make their situation even worse by continuing his strong performance into the start of the season, showing that he can continue to lead a revived bench unit and be a disruptor on defense.
If Eason, 22, is able to prove his enduring value within Houston's early regular season schedule, he may have an amount of leverage in negotiations that will be difficult for the organization to overcome, and the amount he deserves could make the team's financial restrictions even tighter going forward.