The Houston Rockets are the obvious winners of the 2025 NBA offseason so far. After trading for Kevin Durant before the draft, the Rockets continued their big summer splash by signing Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela in free agency. Now, the Rockets have one of the deepest and most talented rosters in the league, ready to contend for a championship.
Adding Durant, Finney-Smith, and Capela into the frontcourt rotation, however, means that a few Rockets may get squeezed out in the pecking order. Among the top candidates to lose their role is talented defender Tari Eason. The Rockets would be wise to consider trade offers for Eason in anticipation of a reduced role.
Rockets Would Be Wise to Consider Parting Ways With Tari Eason
Eason has established himself as one of the more underrated defenders in the league since entering the league in 2022. He can guard multiple positions and make defensive plays, averaging 1.7 steals and 0.9 blocks in 24.9 minutes per game last season. Despite a limited offensive game, Eason was a huge positive for the Rockets, swinging games with his energy, defense, and transition play off the bench.
However, his role on the new-look Rockets is less clear. Finney-Smith and Jabari Smith Jr. are cleaner fits next to the Fred VanVleet-Amen Thompson-Kevin Durant-Alperen Sengun quartet thanks to their three-and-D skill set. With the Capela addition and Steven Adams re-signing, the Rockets have also made it clear that they want to play two-big lineups often next season.
This makes Eason redundant and expendable, especially considering that he is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Instead of giving him a lucrative, multi-year extension, Houston should seriously consider trading him while his value is very high.
Once Eason is on a market-value deal and is on a reduced bench role next season, his trade value may go down. If the Rockets can get an elite shooter, preferably at the shooting guard position, parting ways with Eason might make some sense.