Exclusive negotiating window opens for Rockets, Tari Eason
· Yahoo Sports
With Saturday’s Game 5 victory at San Antonio, the New York Knicks are officially the 2026 NBA champions.
And with that, the 2026 offseason is officially underway.
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The day after the NBA Finals end each year, teams across the league enter an exclusive negotiating window with internal free agents from the previous season’s rosters. That window lasts until the end of the month, when players can enter negotiations with external teams.
For the Houston Rockets and general manager Rafael Stone, the most prominent name that this window applies to is Tari Eason. Should those talks not result in an agreement, the 25-year-old would become a restricted free agent on June 30, with Houston having the right to match any outside proposal.
The Rockets and Eason tried and failed to reach an extension agreement ahead of the 2026 season. But both sides knew that re-engaging after the season was always possible, and the restricted status gives the team at least some level of control. It also might reduce the player’s market leverage.
So, why didn’t a deal get done before? Prior to the 2025-26 campaign, Eason had been viewed as something of an injury risk after missing significant time in his second and third NBA seasons due to a recurring issue with his lower left leg.
However, Eason didn’t have leg issues this season, and the 6-foot-8 forward was able to play in 66 games (combining both the regular season and playoffs). That could potentially ease some of those previous concerns.
In a career-high 25.8 minutes per game, Eason averaged 10.5 points (35.8% on 3-pointers), 6.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game in the 2025-26 regular season. He remains one of Houston’s most valued and versatile defenders, as well.
Eason did, however, shoot a career-low 46.3% on two-point shots.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the final offer in preseason negotiations between the Rockets and Eason was for more than $100 million in total money over several seasons, but not all of it was guaranteed. Presumably, the team was attempting to protect itself from Eason’s unique risk factors.
Now, with a season of additional data to consider, both sides will go back to the negotiating table.
Eason did have a strong showing in Houston’s first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers, as shown in the fact that the Rockets were 15.7 points better in net rating when Eason played. That on-off differential was second among rotation players, trailing only Amen Thompson.
That could perhaps incentivize the team to get a deal done, sooner rather than later. Eason’s success in the 2026 playoffs came in direct contrast to Houston’s 2025 first-round series versus the Golden State Warriors, when his -15.1 differential was worst among rotation players.
Among players on standard contracts, other Rockets who could hit free agency on June 30 include Josh Okogie, Aaron Holiday, Jae’Sean Tate, Jeff Green, and Fred VanVleet (player option). Reports have indicated that the Rockets and VanVleet could explore a contract restructure, just as they did in this same negotiating window one year ago.
Because VanVleet missed all of last season with a torn ACL in his right knee, it is unlikely that he would choose to enter 2026 free agency (since it would require him turning down a $25-million payment for 2026-27). Thus, in contrast to Eason, the stakes would seem to be a bit lower for the Rockets and VanVleet.
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Exclusive negotiating window opens for Rockets, Tari Eason