Kevin Durant's Contract Extension Leaves All Eyes on Rockets' Tari Eason

Houston gave its star a contract extension after an offseason of negotiations. But the Rockets have another concern in Tari Eason.

Oct 14, 2025; Birmingham, Alabama, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jeff Green and Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) and Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (17) share a moment on the bench during the second half of an NBA preseason game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Legacy Arena at BJCC. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

There is plenty of relief cast over the Houston Rockets and their fans today. Amid questions regarding contracts, one of those has been answered, with Houston giving star forward Kevin Durant a two-year, $90 million extension, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

The Rockets extend Durant with a deal that could take the all-time great through the 2027-28 if he picks up his player option. The 6-foot-11 forward would have hit unrestricted free agency in 2026 had he not been extended, which would have caused panic considering Houston traded key assets to acquire him in June.

BREAKING: Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant has agreed to a two-year, $90 million contract extension with the franchise, his business partner and Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman tells ESPN. The new deal includes a player option in 2027-28. pic.twitter.com/5GdhzgnSPa

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 19, 2025

There were two main concerns with Durant's extension that resulted in it going down right before the start of the regular season. The first was navigating the terms while considering the apron penalties. Durant was eligible for a $120 million maximum over two years, but instead, the Rockets saved some money on the 37-year-old, giving them more flexibility.

The second, correlating with the apron, was the looming extension for Tari Eason. The 24-year-old is up for a rookie extension, with the deadline sitting on Monday.

Eason averaged 12 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 0.9 blocks last season as the Rockets soared with a top-five defense in the NBA. He has been instrumental to Houston's success on the other end of the floor.

The 6-foot-8 wing would hit restricted free agency if an extension is not reached. Being so close to the deadline, there is reason for concern. However, the Rockets gave Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun rookie extensions on deadline day last year, so anything is possible.

Houston has been handing out contracts all summer long. Along with their new acquisitions, such as Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela, the Rockets re-signed Fred VanVleet and extended Eason's fellow 2022 draftee Jabari Smith Jr. with a five-year, $122 million deal.

This year's restricted free agency proved that the organization has almost all of the power, even though a player is on the market. However, the restricted free agency class featured names with a lot of questions, such as Cam Thomas, Jonathan Kuminga and more.

Eason is a different case because he specializes in defense. His offensive game is solid, but he doesn't need the ball in his hands to be effective. Teams could show interest in his services based on their needs. The Rockets could match any offer Eason receives, but it could cost them big money.