Rockets Future Murky With Jabari Smith Jr. After Injury

Jabari Smith Jr.'s absence could shake up the Houston Rockets.

Jeremy Brener | Jan 5, 2025

Dec 29, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr (10) leaves the court following the game against the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images / Erik Williams-Imagn Images

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Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets were dealt a painful blow when Jabari Smith Jr. was put on the injury report after breaking his hand.

The Rockets won't have Smith for the next 4-8 weeks, and during that time, things will change for the team. Bleacher Report writer Greg Swartz is concerned about his future with the team.

"The No. 3 overall pick of the 2022 draft, Smith finds himself in an engrossing situation now in his third season with the Houston Rockets," Swartz writes. "Smith is eligible to sign a contract extension this offseason, so it's imperative that Houston knows what it's getting before making a major financial investment."

The Rockets will now figure out how valuable Smith is now that he faces the first long-term injury of his career. If the Rockets do well, maybe they decide that he could be worth trading to another team to land a more win-now player.

If they begin to slip, they may feel better about his place with the franchise moving forward and decide to keep him long-term. They may even seal that with a contract extention in the offseason.

The Rockets will now have to continue to adjust with Smith out of the lineup as they take on the Los Angeles Lakers tonight. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.

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Published Jan 5, 2025

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.