The Houston Rockets will be one of the most fascinating teams in the 2025-26 NBA season after going from an up-and-coming, feisty playoff team to a title contender in one offseason. With the veteran additions of Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Clint Capela, the Rockets have shifted their championship window to now, likely entering the campaign as a top-three championship favorite.
With this comes additional responsibility for the front office. GM Rafael Stone has done an excellent job this summer with a series of savvy moves, but it would behoove him to continue to try to add to the roster. The backcourt could use more depth and shooting, and the best way to acquire it will be via a trade. If the Rockets do end up pursuing a trade, it will likely have to be Jae'Sean Tate included in such a deal.
Jae'Sean Tate's Time in Houston May Be Numbered Despite Re-Signing This Offseason
Tate is an excellent developmental story for the Rockets. Signing with Houston as an undrafted free agent in 2020, the combo forward succeeded in turning himself into a defensive stalwart and a fringe rotation player. The reason that he is the most likely Rocket to be traded before the summer has nothing to do with his skill set and everything to do with Houston's roster construction.
The Rockets have simply too crowded a frontcourt rotation. Tate can guard multiple positions and provide defensive versatility on the wing, to be sure, but his offensive shortcomings make him a tough fit on this team. Houston already has too many shooting-challenged players and needs more spacing. When Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, and any one of the three centers on the roster are on the floor, it becomes very difficult to find any room for Tate.
Even though Tate just re-signed with the Rockets this summer, he will be eligible to be traded in October. He is on a minimum contract, making it easy for the Rockets to match salaries, either by combining him with another player or by himself. The 29-year-old is certainly a capable player and should have a role in the NBA going forward, but seeing him in a rotation spot in Houston is increasingly difficult. Whether Tate starts or finishes the season with the Rockets remains to be seen.