While everyone is focused on the 2025-26 NBA season tipping off, the rumors of offseason player movement have yet to die down. This offseason may be over, but it is never too early to start looking ahead to next summer.
A lot will be at stake for the Atlanta Hawks after this season concludes. With Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kennard and even Trae Young potentially hitting free agency, the front office will be forced to make some tough decisions.
Another team that is likely going to have to part ways with some key contributors is the Houston Rockets. They never wasted a moment this summer, bringing in Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela.
They also extended Jabari Smith Jr. and the newly-acquired Durant. With all of this money guaranteed over the next several seasons, the Rockets made the tough choice to not extend their standout young forward, Tari Eason.
This was a puzzling move, to say the least. The franchise did not get any younger this offseason and chose to decline a long-term contract for a player with some of the brightest potential on the team. Tari Eason will now hit restricted free agency next summer, where there will be a ton of interested teams.
It would be ill-advised for the Hawks to not go after Eason.
There is a realistic scenario where the Hawks bring back Young and Kennard, but decline to bring back Porzingis due to age, health and financial concerns. This would leave them with plenty of cap space to go after a top free agent of their choosing.
If they are thinking of bringing in a long-term guy rather than a one or two-year rental, a forward like Tari Eason who matches the timeline and on-court scheme would make all the sense in the world.
Eason had the best year of his career last season, averaging 12.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game on 48.7% from the floor. He put up this level of production in only 25 minutes a night in a crowded forward room.
Due to his proven abilities and valuable contributions, Houston would not just let him walk. If Atlanta was serious about bringing him in, they would need to throw him a hefty deal, ranging at about $25-30 million annually.
A contract like this would be a risk, but it would be a calculated one, as Eason would fit right in to the two-way culture Atlanta has been trying to build.