[Rocketswire / The Athletic] Tari likely to get an extension

Yeah he should have been the savior in game 7... we didnt get out the first round but yet we have bench players with questionable health acting like disgruntled championship veterans. Go figure...

 

Holy jump to conclusions, Batman! Would you take a low ball offer the next time you are in the job market? I sincerely doubt it.

Players want to be paid above all else, but Eason rejecting an offer he felt was below his market value doesn’t mean he hates being here.

 

We really don’t. The Rockets still control Tari’s RFA rights, and they have not traded him. They simply are telling him if you want what you feel you are worth, stay healthy this year and prove it.

 

For clarity, Rockets Wire (me) is aggregation. If any major news outlet (ESPN, The Athletic, Chronicle, Yahoo, etc.) had said a deal was unlikely, my job would've been to aggregate that, too. Just the nature of the beast. Obviously there are some sources that are spotty that I'll ignore, but if it's a major/credible outlet saying something is expected, I don't have much of a choice. It's what my bosses pay me to do.

With that out of the way, some speculation: Kelly Iko is no longer with The Athletic, and he was very well connected here for years, for obvious reasons. They do have a "replacement" in Guillory (partial byline), but he was/is already covering the Pelicans and is splitting time. Not sure if he'll be based in Houston, and even if he is, he's only been covering this team a few weeks. Aldridge (the other byline) is national.

So, long story short: It's possible The Athletic won't be as reliable, with regards to Rockets scoops, as they once were. Too early to tell that conclusively, but certainly worth monitoring in the wake of this.

 

Taris mom likes Reed

Tari doesn’t sign

Ime benches Reed

— Tmz

 

absolutely not attacking you @The Cat

just disappointed cause I got my hopes up.

 

Understood, and I didn't think you were. Just wanted to clarify since A) I saw someone else ask the same question, and B) I have been kinda wondering if losing Iko will make The Athletic not as reliable on Rockets intel. Too early to say for sure, but worth monitoring

 

All I'm saying is if Tari start going hero-ball to get a better contract, he's gonna be traded real quick.

 

Athletic stocks just went up. @Snow Villiers

 

You should be!! Rockets media is being put on notice. We are a contender now

 

Also, one other thing to keep in mind: Not sure if we'll get a true "post mortem" explanation for how all this went down.

In contrast to, say, the Brook Lopez situation (where the Rockets were clearly comfortable telling their side of where things broke down), they won't want to poison the well since it's absolutely still possible they reach a deal with Tari next summer -- which would make today a footnote. I think they will be vague and fairly measured, even off the record.

 

empty promises too

 

If Tari stays professional and his health holds up I would love to resign him in the offseason. But really don’t want to lose him for nothing in RFA. Dangerous game we are all playing. He needs to keep that chip on his shoulder professional though. I’m a little worried about that.

 

Hard to imagine any team overpaying for him tbh. Which 3nD wing made more than 25M in recent markets?

 

Not sure why everyone is so upset. Tari didnt get the deal he wanted, that's it. We still have him signed through the season AND rights to match any offer he gets in the off-season. If he gets injured and misses 30 games or something do you think teams out there are going to be throwing $20 mil a year at him? Very doubtful. He may get 15 - 18 which is right where the Rockets want to be with him. He tests free agency, he sees what the market will bear and we can decide at that point if he's worth it. Not a big deal folks. Rockets are still 100% in control of this situation.

 

Keegan Murray.

 

He isnt a wing he is a PF. And its the kings being kings lol

 

I really wish Tari had secured a deal. Given his recurring injuries, it’s strategically unwise to gamble on his future earning potential. By next season, it’s entirely possible no team values him at even $15 million. Sengun set the perfect example, after suffering a major injury, he prioritized long term financial security rather than risking generational wealth, despite clearly being a max caliber player. He also accepted less for the sake of team flexibility.

Tari seems to believe he’s worth north of $20 million, but that’s a miscalculation of his current market value. Overestimating worth rarely ends well. Even players like Durant and Sengun made concessions when necessary. There's a fine line between confidence and overvaluation and turning down generational wealth, especially with an injury history, is simply poor risk management.

 

Exactly people are overreacting.

Honestly Tari and his crew are the ones who made a mistake. Its got to be a real major lowball not to take a 4 yr deal if I was Tari given my injury.

He should ask Caleb Martin, Harrell and Dennis S how betting on yourself in RFA is a bad deal most of the time.

 

Unfortunately, Tari tends to force things when he’s trying to prove his value, often making questionable plays that hurt team flow. What he really needs to show isn’t forcing things, but that he can stay healthy for a full season. Since he’s a RFA, the team has flexibility, if he stays healthy and plays well, we can easily match any offer he gets.