The Houston Rockets may have hit paydirt for the second straight year in the middle of the first round. After drafting Alperen Sengun last year with a surprise number 16 pick, the Rockets had another mid-first-round pick at number 17 this year and drafted Tari Eason.
Most of the attention going into Summer League was on the Rocket's third overall pick, Jabari Smith. Smith struggled with his shot but showed his potential elite defense throughout the five games. Eason, however, was the breakout star of the Summer League for the Rockets. He averaged 17.2 points and was second in the league in rebounding at 10.