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The Houston Rockets have never been shy about making bold moves, but the 2025 offseason took that to an entirely new level. After pulling off a jaw-dropping seven-team trade to land Kevin Durant, general manager Rafael Stone effectively pushed all his chips to the center of the table. The Rockets, who just a season ago were being praised for developing a young, exciting core, are now operating in win-now mode.
The Durant acquisition, along with the presence of Fred VanVleet, Alperen Şengün, Jabari Smith Jr., and Amen Thompson, makes Houston a legitimate championship contender. But with contender status comes a shift in priorities: player development often takes a back seat to roster optimization, depth balancing, and most importantly, cap flexibility under the increasingly restrictive CBA rules.
In that context, two names stand out as potential trade candidates well before the deadline: Tari Eason and Aaron Holiday. Each finds themselves in a unique situation, whether it’s looming contract negotiations or being squeezed by depth chart realities. While it’s still early in the season, the Rockets could very well move one (or all) of them before the stretch run.
Tari Eason: The tough decision on a two-way wing
Tari Eason’s defensive energy and positional versatility have been a cornerstone of Houston’s second unit since he was drafted in 2022. He brings a rare blend of rebounding, on-ball defense, and slashing ability from the forward spot, making him the kind of player every contender needs in a playoff series.
The next thing to get done is that Tari Eason extension 🙏🏽 #LiftOff pic.twitter.com/EdF8Fz9joV
— 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘢☆ (@Stunna999_) July 1, 2025
However, his contractual situation complicates things. As a member of the 2022 draft class, Eason is eligible for an extension until October 20, 2025. If no deal is reached, he’ll enter restricted free agency in 2026, a scenario that could leave the Rockets vulnerable to an expensive offer sheet from another team.
Houston’s salary sheet is already stacked, with Kevin Durant ($54.7M), Fred VanVleet ($50.8). That financial pressure makes Eason’s case tricky: do the Rockets lock him up now at a potentially steep price, or do they flip him for a player whose contract aligns better with their contention window?
There’s also the on-court dynamic to consider. Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., and Jae’Sean Tate occupy similar positions, limiting Eason’s minutes. If he’s not playing 25–30 minutes a night, his defensive impact, his main value driver, is diminished. The Rockets may conclude that his trade value will never be higher than in the months ahead, especially if he starts the season strong.
If Eason’s camp and Houston can’t bridge the gap on an extension, he becomes one of the league’s most attractive trade chips for contenders seeking defensive depth.
Aaron Holiday: The veteran guard on the fringe
Aaron Holiday has carved out a respectable NBA career as a steady, low-turnover guard who can hit threes and defend his position. For a contending team, that’s the kind of bench player who can be invaluable in the grind of an 82-game season. But for Houston, the guard rotation is already overflowing.
Aaron Holiday isn't about to take any disrespect from a rookie pic.twitter.com/RF8oJrwoZC
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) January 21, 2024
With Fred VanVleet, Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, and even Kevin Durant functioning as secondary playmakers, Holiday could find himself battling for minutes from day one. In an ideal world, he’d be the reliable third guard, a plug-and-play option when foul trouble or injuries hit. But in a roster as deep as Houston’s, “ideal” is often sacrificed for fit and opportunity cost.
From a trade perspective, Holiday’s $3M deal is very movable. It’s low enough for a playoff team to absorb without gutting its roster, but high enough to help in salary matching. If Houston needs to package salaries for a bigger move, say, to address backup center depth or wing scoring, Holiday could be the odd man out.
He’s also at an age (28) where contenders would value his experience without worrying about physical decline. Expect teams like the Lakers, Bucks, or Heat to keep tabs on his availability if their guard rotations thin out.
Holiday is the kind of trade chip that can quietly tip the scales in a multi-player deal, and his roster fit in Houston makes him expendable if the right opportunity comes along.
What will the Rockets do?
The Houston Rockets are in a rare position for a team so recently out of the lottery: deep, talented, and aggressive. But depth comes with its own set of challenges, especially under the modern CBA. Tari Eason and Aaron Holiday may not be the biggest names in Houston’s star-studded roster. Still, their situations make them prime candidates for movement either as part of a blockbuster or a smaller, surgical upgrade.
If history is any indication, Rafael Stone won’t hesitate to act. The Rockets have made it clear that they’re not here for gradual progress anymore; they’re here to win, and win now. In that reality, any player outside the core can find themselves on the trade table sooner than they expect.
