The four-five matchup against the Houston Rockets offered the Los Angeles Lakers a perfect opportunity to escape the first round despite being undermanned. They did that. The bonus of drawing the Rockets, specifically, also had to do with getting a close-up on Tari Eason.
Eason is heading for restricted free agency in the summer of 2026 and fits the exact type of archetype Rob Pelinka should be gushing for when considering a future led by Luka Doncic. There are several reasons to believe the Rockets forward will be gettable too.
The Lakers have already been linked to Eason, meaning the interest is there and confirmed (as far as the rumor mill goes). Despite being a restricted free agent, the Rockets are also in a financial bind, limiting their ability to pay up for the young forward.
Add to that a recent example of Ime Udoka dishing Eason backhanded compliments and suddenly the union between Tari and the Rockets looks quite fragile. After what the Lakers saw in the first round, they should be more than happy to break up the marriage too.
Tari Eason's strong first-round performance should invite Lakers to call in free agency
Eason finished the series against the Lakers averaging 13.8 points per game, shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from beyond the arc. Perhaps that 3-point mark could look more pleasant, but that is a bigger reflection of the Rockets offense than it is on Tari as an individual.
On the other end, Eason was a defensive playmaker for Houston in this series. The Rockets forward averaged 2.5 steals and 0.7 blocks per game.
There was a lot to like when envisioning the potential fit with the Lakers. Adding Eason's athleticism and defense, and coupling that with strong offensive upside, makes him an easy player to imagine thriving when playing next to Doncic.
Eason already knows his future might not be in Houston, too. The Rockets forward hinted at that idea after the 98-78 loss for his team in Game 6.
"It’s tough to say I didn’t think about it. You definitely think about it," Eason said of his looming free agency saga. "I was drafted here. I’ve grown up here. My family is here. I love Houston. As far as everything else, God knows.”
The last part is what should raise eyebrows. After failing to reach a rookie-scale extension with the Rockets before that deadline passed, Eason's future is up in the air. To some capacity, the young forward is well-aware of that.
If the Rockets do not pony up a legitimate contract, perhaps the Lakers can swoop in for the steal. Pelinka should need little convincing of why Eason would be a good addition after getting to watch him carefully in the first round.
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