NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 27: Tari Eason #17 of the Houston Rockets reacts in the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 27, 2023 in New York City. The New York Knicks defeated the Houston Rockets 137-115. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
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The Rockets, winners of three straight, 8-3 and third in the Western Conference, suffered a big blow to their push for top seeding with news that forward Tari Eason will be sidelined for approximately four to six weeks with a strained oblique. The injury was incurred on Friday against the Blazers causing Eason to leave the game.
Eason was in the midst of one of the best seasons of his career, shooting a scorching hot 50.9% from long distance, and providing his usual form of rugged defense off of head coach Ime Udoka’s bench. Contract negotiations between Eason and the Rockets came to a stalemate this past summer as the two sides could not agree upon a figure for an extension prior to the deadline. Per 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 which have derailed his career to date are a thing of the past, he’ll be in line for a huge payday next summer. Per the rules of the league’s collective bargaining agreement, the Rockets will have the right to match any offer Eason receives in free agency.
It will be next man up for Udoka’s Rockets, with free agent signing Josh Okogie already playing a larger role than expected, having been 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 sophomore guard Reed Sheppard will see more minutes. Veterans Jae’Sean Tate and Aaron Holiday are also options to pick up the extra minutes while maintaining defensive viability. Eason’s physicality and relentlessness on both the glass and on defense, along with his improved shooting, will be very difficult to replicate with other options.
Of course, free agent signing Dorian Finney-Smith remains out indefinitely as he recovers from left ankle surgery perfomred in June 2025. There is no specific timetable for Finney-Smith’s return with his progress described as “week to week.” At 6’8, having shot 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.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/rahathuq/2025/11/15/eason-injury-big-blow-to-surging-rockets/
