Determined to win the championship with the Rockets! Eason officially responds to failure to renew contract; his mother speaks out to clarify rumors of greed.

On October 22nd Beijing time, according to Eason, everything remains the same. The fourth-year forward did not come to terms with the Rockets on a contract extension before the local Monday evening deadline, which means he will be a restricted free agent next summer.

Following the Rockets’ season opener shooting session, Eason formally responded to the failure to renew his contract and reiterated his goal of pursuing the championship this season.

“This is a business matter, nothing personal,” Eason stated. “I don’t think it changes my objective. I came here to win a championship with the Rockets. That’s my true focus.”

When asked if he hopes to continue playing for the Rockets next season, Eason replied, “Of course. You have to know, I was drafted here, this is my home. They brought me into the NBA, and from day one, Houston has felt like family and home to me. So the answer is definitely yes.”

At least publicly, Eason does not show any Jordan-like resentment over this. Previously, he expressed feeling overlooked after not being included in ESPN’s top 100 NBA players list for the 2025-26 season; he also declared his goal this year is to win the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award. Last season, he was ineligible for NBA awards due to not meeting the minimum games played requirement.

Whether the Rockets forward will use the contract issue as extra motivation remains to be seen throughout the regular season.

As the 17th pick in the 2022 NBA draft, Eason declined to discuss details of the contract renewal talks — which lasted until the final hour before the local 5 p.m. Monday deadline. Earlier this summer, after re-signing Jabari Smith Jr., the Rockets were confident about reaching an agreement with Eason. However, the two sides ultimately failed to find common ground.

Last season, due to ongoing pain in his surgically repaired left calf, Eason played only 57 games for the Rockets but averaged a career-high 24.9 minutes per game. He is an aggressive on-ball defender who can guard smaller players on the perimeter as well as intercept passing lanes inside. His high steal rate makes him one of the team’s most dangerous scoring threats in transition offense.

In half-court offense, the Rockets mainly use Eason off the ball, either cutting to the basket or spacing out in the corner. Eason reiterated his desire to take on a bigger role this season, including more ball-handling responsibilities in half-court sets — a role he frequently assumed during the preseason game against the Pelicans to ease the team’s defensive pressure.

“I feel like I’ve been able to make some hand-off passes and even initiate offense with a few dribbles,” Eason said. “I think in the preseason I got more chances to create opportunities for the team. All I’m asking for is a chance, and I believe they have given me that. Now it’s up to me to make the most of it.”

After the failed contract renewal, rumors circulated that his family was too money-driven. Eason’s mother, Troya Eason, spoke out on social media to address these claims.

She wrote, “Don’t believe any rumors you hear. The Eason family has never been greedy — whether it’s college, the NBA, business endorsements, or life in general, we always put ‘effort’ first. When you show your ability, wealth naturally follows. As long as we stay focused on basketball itself, no one is a loser.”