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Steven Adams, Tari Eason Viewed as Rockets' Prominent Roster Additions Next Season
The Houston Rockets are not expected to make major changes to their roster this off-season, but the return of Steven Adams and Tari Eason are viewed as prominent additions.
HOUSTON — For the first time in his tenure as general manager of the Houston Rockets, Rafael Stone has an offseason to build upon the team's success. The Rockets ended the 2023-24 season with their first winning record in four years (41-41), and their success led to Stone finding satisfaction with the current construction of the roster.
Stone doesn't anticipate many off-season changes this summer, but he feels the addition of Steven Adams and Tari Eason will be enough for Houston to continue its ongoing improvements during the 2024-25 season.
"We’re looking forward to getting Tari back — he's an enormous part of what we do," Stone said. "We’re ecstatic we have Steven Adams and think he’ll add a real element to us.
"The guys we have in the locker room today, we’re excited to bring back. We’ll look at things but again, I don’t view our roster as we’re missing X, we need to go find it. It’s not like we have a gaping hole."
Adams and Eason could not impact the Rockets this season due to their respective injuries. Eason underwent season-ending surgery in March following a leg injury he sustained during the Rockets' preseason victory over the Indiana Pacers in October.
He played 22 games and gave coach Ime Udoka a glance at his potential by carving out a substantial role as Houston's sixth-man, averaging 9.8 points and 7.0 rebounds.
However, Eason's minor production was more than what Adams provided upon his arrival from the Memphis Grizzlies in February. Before the start of the 2023-24 season, Adams sustained a PCL injury in his right knee. He underwent season-ending surgery in October and vowed to be ready by the start of next season.
After starting his career as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015, Adams has established himself as one of the league's top enforcers, averaging 9.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.0 block across 706 career games.
Stone believes the development of Houston's young core is vital to the Rockets' success, but based on the lost seasons of Adams and Eason, health must also prevail.
"I don't think talent is our problem," Stone said. "We feel very good about the base of our talented players. All of them, at various times, have shown glimpses of guys who can play in big moments and big games. We are excited about it."
