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The Rockets, winners of three straight, 8-3 and third in the Western Conference, suffered a major blow in their pursuit of a top seed with the news that forward Tari Eason will be sidelined for approximately four to six weeks with a strained oblique. The injury was suffered on Friday against the Blazers, forcing Eason to leave the game.
Eason was in the midst of one of the best seasons of his career, shooting a scorching 50.9% from long range and providing his usual brand of gritty defense off head coach Ime Udoka’s bench. Contract negotiations between Eason and the Rockets reached an impasse last summer as the two sides were unable to agree on an extension amount before the deadline. According to reports, the Rockets had offered a contract north of $100 million. If Eason continues his current production and can prove that the lower leg injuries that have derailed his career thus far are a thing of the past, he is in line for a big payday next summer. Under the league’s collective bargaining agreement rules, the Rockets have the right to match any offer Eason receives in free agency.
It will be the next man up for Udoka’s Rockets, with free agent Josh Okogie already playing a bigger role than expected after being inserted into Houston’s starting lineup after center Steven Adams started the first two games of the season. Perhaps Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson and second-year guard Reed Sheppard will see more minutes. Veterans Jae’Sean Tate and Aaron Holiday are also options to get the extra minutes while maintaining defensive viability. Eason’s physicality and ruthlessness on both the glass and defense, along with his improved shooting ability, will be very difficult to replicate with other options.
Of course, Dorian Finney-Smith will remain out indefinitely as he recovers from surgery on his left ankle that was performed in June 2025. There is no specific timetable for Finney-Smith’s return, with his progress described as ‘week by week’. At 6-foot-4 after shooting 41.1% from three-point range last season, Finney-Smith is exactly the kind of 3&D wing that would make Eason’s injury more palatable.
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