The resolution of restricted free agent Tari Eason’s contract figures to have a domino effect on the Rockets’ offseason moves.
Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle
The Houston Rockets enter free agency with a few open questions and not a lot of money to work with.
The Rockets lost in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight season, capping a campaign general manager Rafael Stone called “frustrating and disappointing” at his end-of-season press conference. Houston has decisions to make about some of its own free agents but also necessary improvements to make.
At that press conference, coach Ime Udoka said he hoped Houston added shooting and variety in skill sets, noting that the Rockets’ roster had multiple players who had the same strengths. The Rockets were 10th during the regular season in 3-point percentage but took the third-fewest triples. In the playoffs, a small sample size, they were tied for the worst 3-point shooting team.
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Stone also noted that Houston wanted to get more skilled — which he broadly defined as passing and ballhandling. The Rockets were deficient in those areas after starting point guard Fred VanVleet tore his ACL and missed the entire season. But, Stone said, Houston will be discerning in how it looks to address those weaknesses.
“We would like to be more skilled. We’d like to be better (at) shooting. We’d like to do all of that without giving up defense and rebounding,” he said. “I hope we can do that. That’s always the goal. But if you can’t, then we’ll have to make some hard decisions around the margins.”
So what resources will the Rockets have to improve the roster as free agency opens Tuesday? It depends.
Two key questions were answered Monday. VanVleet exercised his $25 million player option for the 2026-27 season, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. ESPN first reported VanVleet’s decision, which returns the Rockets a key on-court organizer and leader. It is worth noting that the Rockets could not have traded VanVleet last season without his permission (players who re-sign with their own teams on a one-year deal or a two-year deal with a player option have that protection). Opting into the deal removes that restriction.
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Houston also picked up the team option for guard JD Davison, according to the source. Davison’s $2.5 million salary is non-guaranteed. With those players back, the Rockets have 10 players under contract — not including No. 31 pick Bruce Thornton — and are about $21.5 million under the first apron.
Why does that matter? It will affect which version of the mid-level exception, a team-building tool that allows teams over the salary cap to sign free agents, Houston will have. If the Rockets stay under the first apron, they will have access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, about $15 million. If they’re above the first apron, that drops to about $6 million.
It will be difficult but not impossible to stay under the first apron. Forward Tari Eason is a restricted free agent and it is unclear how much money he will command — it could depend on other teams’ interest in the 24-year-old. The Rockets also have four unrestricted free agents: Josh Okogie, Jeff Green, Jae’Sean Tate and Aaron Holiday.
Okogie had some solid contributions as a defender and rebounder for Houston last season. He shot a career-best 38.5% from deep last season, albeit on low volume. Green’s next season will be his 20th. The respected locker-room veteran finished third in the NBA’s teammate of the year award voting. Tate is the longest-tenured Rocket but averaged career lows in minutes, points and rebounds per game last season. Holiday was a good shooter on low volume but his spot on the roster could be in jeopardy after the Rockets drafted Thornton.
The NBA’s minimum salary varies based on service time but anybody with above five years of experience will earn a salary of at least $2 million. It is hard to see a world where the Rockets re-sign Eason to a small enough salary, use the full mid-level exception and fill out their roster for under $22 million.
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If the Rockets want to stay under the first apron, they will likely need to shed salary. One candidate? Forward Dorian Finney-Smith, who is on an expiring contract for about $13 million (the last two years of his contract are non-guaranteed). His first year with Houston didn’t go great. Finney-Smith’s recovery from ankle surgery took longer than expected and he never found his rhythm.
Houston could bet on the 33-year-old, further removed from the surgery, finding his form. But, if the Rockets desire salary flexibility, they could find a trade partner willing to take on his salary.