Rockets' Tari Eason Cited as 'Heart of Houston's Bench'

The Houston Rockets have been dubbed the deepest team in basketball by a number of writers, insiders, and analysts alike. The team drafted well during their rebuild, landing Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, and Tari Eason.

The team also drafted Jalen Green, who they were able to flip as main piece in their recent splash trade that netted Kevin Durant. 

Smith was one of the team’s best players in their postseason series against the Golden State Warriors, despite playing a limited role off the bench (7.4 points in 20.4 minutes -- good for 13.1 points per 36 minutes, on 50 percent from the field, 45.5 percent from three, and 80 percent from the foul line).

The franchise rewarded him with a $122.5 million contract extension in the offseason. Eason, who was drafted by the Rockets in 2022 -- the same year as Smith -- is also eligible for a rookie-scale extension, although he hasn't yet been given a new deal. 

The 24-year-old wing would fit like a glove on every team. At 6-foot-8, he's tall and long and has a relentless motor on both ends of the floor. He also crashes the glass, both offensively and defensively. 

Eason was depicted by Fadeaway World as the heart of the Rockets' bench, with the writer, prominent NBA insider Eddie Bitar coining him one of the league's premier disruptors.

"Tari Eason will be the heart of Houston’s bench with his relentless energy and defensive motor, and he hopes to fight for a starting spot ahead of Jabari Smith Jr as well. Still, looking ahead, Eason will look to be the difference-maker off the bench for the Rockets.

He crashes the glass, deflects passes, and makes life miserable for opposing scorers while still averaging a solid 12 points and 6 rebounds. Eason’s versatility and effort make him one of the league’s premier second-unit disruptors, and he has a chance to completely own that unit."

As it pertains to his contract, the Rockets' brass is reportedly hoping to get a deal done prior to the start of the 2025-26 season, but there's a real possibility that he enters restricted free agency after the season, allowing the Rockets to match any offer he'd receive elsewhere. 

If there's a knock to make towards Eason, it's his availability, or lack thereof. Especially of late.

After playing all 82 games as a rookie in 2022-23 (one of just 10 players to make such a claim), he's played in a combined 79 games over the last two seasons. 

If Eason is going to be the "heart of Houston’s bench" he'll have to avoid the injury bug and remain on the floor. It'll probably solve his contract uncertainty as well.