Reject the Rockets! Rising stars become the biggest variable, Durant sacrificed 30 million in vain, and the championship is in doubt again?

Editor|Old Kankanqiu

The NBA 2025-26 season is about to start, and recently many teams have begun to renew their contracts frequently. For example, the Trail Blazers spent 170 million U.S. dollars in one day and successively signed contracts with Sharp (90 million in 4 years), Makara (82 million in 4 years), and Cook. The early renewal contract of US$125 million per year is well deserved; the Hawks gave Daniels, the most improved player last season, a four-year US$100 million contract. How embarrassing is the star Trae Young who has been unable to renew his contract?

The most gratifying thing for fans is that the Houston Rockets and new aid Durant reached a two-year contract extension of 90 million US dollars, directly reducing the salary by 30 million US dollars and freeing up as much as 24 million US dollars of operating space for the team, which can be said to be a great value for money. It has to be said that the Rockets management is indeed good at negotiating with star players. Just last summer, they just used similar operations to renew the contracts of Jaylen Green and Shen Jing respectively at a lower-than-expected maximum salary price. You know, in this era of frequent super maximum salaries, it is really impressive to be able to renew the team's star with such a low-priced contract.

However, this kind of extreme cost-saving negotiation for contract renewal can sometimes 'shoot yourself in the foot'. According to the latest report from US media outlet ESPN reporter Shams Charania, Rockets forward Tali Eason rejected the Rockets' early contract extension. The two parties had great differences on the value of the contract. Although the Rockets had as much as $24 million in space after Durant's salary cut and renewal, the two sides still failed to reach an agreement. Rockets reporter Kelly Iko also followed up to confirm the news.

This means that Ethan will become a restricted free agent next summer, adding another layer of uncertainty to the Rockets' already uncertain season.

In fact, the contract extension negotiations between the Rockets and Ethan have been going on for several months before Durant's contract extension negotiations, but they have never narrowed the huge differences between the two parties on the contract amount. According to league regulations, the deadline for early contract renewal for 2022 first-round rookies is this Monday local time. Now that the deadline has passed, Ethan has officially entered the contract year.

Rockets reporter Danielle Lerner analyzed: "The failure of both parties to renew the contract does not necessarily mean that Ethan will leave Houston, but it does show that the 24-year-old is willing to bet his future to win a larger contract amount."

Eason and his team have always believed that his performance this season will prove his worth and win a larger contract next summer - whether he signs with the Rockets or another team. Last season, Ethan played in a total of 57 games, averaging 12 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game, while shooting 48.7% from the field. Although his three-point shooting percentage is only 34.2%, he is already one of the most defensive potential championship puzzle pieces in the Rockets lineup. On the defensive end, Ethan's versatility is particularly valuable. He can defend multiple positions and has excellent steals and counterattack abilities.

However, now that the two parties have broken up over the contract extension, I don’t know if it will affect the team’s internal atmosphere. The most ironic thing is that before Durant's salary cut lasted 24 hours, the Rockets were faced with the embarrassment of Ethan's failure to renew his contract. This makes people wonder: Was Durant's 30 million salary cut sacrificed in vain, and the Rockets failed to retain their young core?

In fact, the dilemma faced by the Rockets goes far beyond Ethan's contract renewal. In September this year, the team's starting point guard VanVleet accidentally suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Medical expert Jeffries revealed that the recovery time for such injuries is usually 9-12 months, and there is a high probability that he may be reimbursed for the season. VanVleet's absence is a big blow to the Rockets. Last season, VanVleet averaged 14.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game in the regular season. In the playoffs, he averaged 18.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists.

The most important thing is that as the team's only capable point guard, VanVleet's organizational ability for the Rockets cannot be reflected by some superficial data. Statistics show that the Rockets' offensive efficiency with and without VanVleet in the past two seasons is sharply contrasted: when he was on the court, the team's offensive efficiency remained at around 115; when he was not on the court, this number plummeted, especially in this year's playoffs, when it dropped to an astonishing 86.3.

It has to be said that since Durant left the Warriors, the road to the championship has indeed been full of thorns. I thought that after joining the Rockets, this time it would be another opportunity to win the championship, but now it has been cast a shadow again due to differences between VanVleet's injury reimbursement and Ethan's failed contract renewal.