Restricted free agent Tari Eason agrees to 5-year, $81.5 million deal to remain with Rockets
Restricted free agent Tari Eason and the Rockets reportedly have agreed to a five-year, $81.5 million deal to keep the smooth-shooting forward in Houston, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
The 6-foot-8 Eason, 25, is coming off a season in which he shot 35.8% from 3-point range on 4.3 attempts per game and averaged double-digit scoring for a Rockets team that was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
The fourth-year veteran was selected 17th overall by the Rockets in 2022 and has become a vital and versatile depth piece who started 34 games last season. He averaged 10.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 25:49 minutes per game last year, across 60 games in total.
Per Charania, Eason and the Rockets came close to an extension last October before the start of the 2025-26 season. However, Eason chose to play out the rest of the year and wait to become a restricted free agent.
Eason is rewarded for his patience with more money: The forward will earn an average of $16.3 million under the new deal, which will make him the fifth-highest paid player on the Rockets’ roster next season.
