The Houston Rockets will have to decide on Tari Eason’s long-term future this summer.
Eason is set to enter restricted free agency this summer after Houston wasn’t able to extend the 25-year-old last offseason. With the spacing and perimeter defense that he brings, it would be tough to replace Eason in free agency if the Rockets are unable to re-sign him.
It wouldn’t be a straight swap of what Eason provides, but signing recent Brooklyn Nets free agent Ziaire Williams could make sense for Houston if it gets priced out of Eason’s contract talks.
Potential Eason replacement
Williams averaged a career-high 10.2 points per game in his second season with the Nets, shooting 42.5% from the field and 34.3% from beyond the arc across 56 games played. He was also impactful on the defensive end, registering a career-high 1.4 steals and 0.4 blocks per game.
At 24 years old, Williams is a year younger than Eason and has a similar frame at 6’9, 185 pounds. For a team with limited financial flexibility like Houston, it’s also important to note that he’d be significantly cheaper. Eason is projected to earn a 3-year, $75 million contract this summer, while the Rockets could likely sign Williams on a team-friendly deal or even the veteran’s minimum.
The priority this summer should be to retain Eason in Houston long-term, but if they can’t, Williams could be a cheap backup option that would allow the Rockets to replace some of his production.
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets could sign Nets free agent as potential Tari Eason replacement
Reporting by Henry Daley, Rockets Wire / Rockets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Henry Daley, Rockets Wire | USA TODAY Network
