Tari Eason says he wants to start

Too bad IME is an idiot.

Tari is an even bigger idiot for not cashing in.

At this point I would let him go and get a contract and force the Rockets to match it.

He gambled and LOST.

 

He would have to shoot the ball below 30% the rest of the year to finish below league average. I think it’s far more likely he finishes slightly better than league average as a shooter which is good enough even if he is streaky. The important thing is he is a defensive hound who can shoot slightly above league average on 3 on volume which means you have to run him off the line…I would say from a value standpoint - if Houston can get him on a reasonable deal- even with a bad streak leading into his contract decisions, he’s a young above average 3d and guy with an improving shot. It’s the injury question that really is going to drive whether we part ways or resign him.

 

I think parting ways is almost inevitable at this point. I think there's an obvious mismatch between the role Tari wants and what this team can/will give him. But that doesn't necessarily mean it will be this offseason. He's really lowered the value of his next contract with his poor shooting over the last month or so. If teams believed he had really turned the corner as a 3P shooter and become legitimately very good, rather than just average-ish, he would get a lot stronger offers.

Right now I believe the most likely outcome is that the Rockets re-sign him on some kind of inexpensive deal and trade him a year later. Second most likely would be to hit him with a QO then either he plays that out and walks for nothing (which would be a shame) or brings back an offer sheet that's probably not too different from what we offered him, to the same eventual outcome of him being traded.