The Rockets have guaranteed Jae’Sean Tate‘s salary for the 2021/22 season, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Tate will earn approximately $1.52MM next season.
Tate, 25, had an impressive rookie season for Houston in 2020/21, averaging 11.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 2.5 APG on 50.6% shooting and playing tough defense across 70 games (29.2 MPG). The performance earned him a spot on the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team.
Tate’s second-year salary wasn’t scheduled to become guaranteed until January, per Basketball Insiders. However, as Feigen explains, Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta made the decision to lock in the forward’s salary a few months early. The move was designed to reward Tate for his play last season and to send the message that the team values his “determined play and attitude,” Feigen adds.
Tate’s contract extends for one more year beyond 2021/22 — the Rockets have a $1.78MM team option for ’22/23, which seems likely to be eventually exercised.
The Rockets have also officially signed David Nwaba, Feigen reports.
That gives them 13 players with guaranteed contracts, there was no chance they weren’t keeping Tate anyway. Hopefully they can get a deal done soon with Garuba, which will raise that number to 14, once he can reach a buyout with Real Madrid.
Tate probably won’t start next season with the influx of depth the team has experienced recently. Green will be in the starting lineup, and Daniel Theis probably will start up front next to Christian Wood. Tate will still get decent minutes though.
I’m a little confused as to who you think would start over Tate? At small forward he should be a lock to start?
Wall will start at PG with Jalen Green and Kevin Porter at SG/SF.
The primary reason Tate started 58 games last season was because of the record number of injuries and roster turnover the team was dealing with. Tate played in 70 of their 72 games, while S. Brown (51 games) was their only other player to appear in more than 50.
The team’s continuity last season was virtually non-existent, that will change drastically with 2/3 of the players returning this year.
Silas is in love with Tate. I see him starting at SF. I see first few games wall and KPJ with Green as 6th. After the first couple games it’ll be insane not to start him if he keeps playing the way expected. Best case is to either move wall to 6th or move him on. I don’t see KPJ at SF, it’s a step backwards for him.
Wanted to reward Tate for his play couple months early. It’s a 1.52 million contract.. the owner is cheap.. of course they will pick up the option. Owner counting pennies
Not every team has an owner like Lacob who likes writing $200M checks.
Yeah well I don’t think Lacob minds it when his team has won rings more recently than 27 years ago…
Says the fan of a team that went 108 years between championships.
Cubs2016 is right though. Some times you gotta pony up to win a championship, especially if a player is worth the money.
I don’t disagree with that at all. I just find a funny that a Cubs fan would say anything about a championship drought.
In other words, if Jalen Green becomes at least an all-star and the Rockets let him walk rather than paying him, GreenWood Porter: Not every team has an owner like Lacob who likes writing $2ooM checks.
It won’t cost $200M for them to re-sign Jalen Green.
It doesn’t cost $200M to cost to extend and/or re-sign Tate as well, but your own words: not every team has an owner like Lacob who likes writing $2ooM checks.
It’s amusing how someone can be so infatuated with how another man spends his money.
Morey and Les Alexander’s way was to always wait until the last minute on these sorts of things because you never know about drop off or injury. Fertitta is sending a message that if you work your butt off, you might have that early guarantee to ease some of the stress. I’m shocked he’s doing it and pleasantly surprised.
Think the Rockets will take out the summer league. They have a stacked roster with loads of potential.
I’d let KPJ, Green, Tate, and Wood play in the summer league to foster chemistry.