Rockets’ Tari Eason fails to reach rookie-level extension before Monday’s deadline
Monday, October 20 at 6:00 pm ET is the deadline for players to reach rookie-level contract extensions. One of them is Houston’s backup power forward Tari Eason.
NBA insider Shams Charania reports that the Rock are unable to reach a rookie-level contract extension with Tari Eason. Charania noted that the two parties were unable to find common ground “on multiple fronts.” This shows that the Rockets and Eason are not close in terms of years and money. Now, Tari Eason is set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the 2025-26 season.
Tari Eason one of 12 players not signing rookie contract extension
The Houston Rockets and Tari Eason have no rookie contract extension, sources told ESPN. The two sides were unable to bridge their differences on multiple fronts before Monday’s deadline. Eason will become a restricted free agent next offseason.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 20, 2025
In the 2022 NBA Draft, the Rockets selected Tari Eason from Louisiana State University with the 17th overall pick in the first round. In three seasons with Houston, Eason appeared in 161 games, including 21 starts. As a rookie, Ethan played in all 82 games for the Rockets and made 5 starts. During his career with the Rockets, Tari Eason has primarily served as a backup. He made 16 starts in 2024-25, a career high for the 24-year-old.
On Monday, October 20, NBA insider Shams Charania announced that Tari Eason has not signed a rookie-scale contract extension with the Rockets. According to his report, the two parties were unable to find common ground “on multiple fronts.” That means Houston and Tari Eason are at odds in negotiations. Kelly Iko of The Athletic reports that the Rockets and Eason’s camp have been “far apart in valuation” for weeks.
Houston Rockets reportedly not expected to re-sign Tari Eason @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/KiaNZrHXIo
— NBA Trends (@NBATrendsOnly) October 21, 2025
Iko noted that there was a push to complete a rookie-sized extension at the 11th hour, but that ultimately didn’t happen. Tari Eason is one of 12 players who did not receive a rookie-level extension before Monday’s deadline. The list includes Jaden Ivey, Benedict Maturin, Jeremy Souchon, Ousmane Dieng, Jalen Duren, Ochai Agbaji, Mark Williams, Darren Terry, Malachi Branham, Walker Kessler and Peyton Watson. Since these players did not sign rookie-scale extensions, they will receive qualifying offers for the 2026-27 season.
Houston’s Tari Eason has a qualifying offer of approximately $8 million for the 2026-27 season. However, the Rockets may simply not extend a qualifying offer to Tari Eason next season. This means he will waive restricted free agency and become unrestricted. The Rockets won’t be able to make that decision until next June. If Tari Eason has a breakout season, he could be offered a long-term contract with Houston or another team.
