Rockets Season Preview: Is Jae'Sean Tate Still An Important Piece?

Despite being the longest-tenured player, how will Jae'Sean Tate fit within the Houston Rockets rotation under coach Ime Udoka?

HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets' frontcourt went through significant changes throughout the off-season. The Rockets added Dillon Brooks and Jeff Green at the forward position while trading K.J. Martin to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Despite the roster overhaul, the Rockets retained Jae'Sean Tate, who will enter the 2023-24 campaign as the franchise's longest-tenured player.

From the outside looking in, distributing minutes for Tate may be complicated for coach Ime Udoka.

But during his introductory press conference in April, Udoka described his coaching ideology as toughness, respectability, accountability, and defense. Each essential attribute for Udoka describes Tate as a player.

According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, Udoka views Tate as an "important piece of the Rockets' puzzle."

After signing as an undrafted free agent following the 2020 NBA Draft, Tate has established himself as an essential piece of the Rockets rebuild.

He has since served as Houston's top defensive player and veteran leader, which led to the franchise awarding Tate with a three-year $22.1 million contract last July. 

But last season was a forgettable year for Tate. An ongoing ankle injury limited Tate to 31 games during the 2022-23 campaign. But when healthy, he proved to be a great fit for Udoka's scheme on both ends. 

"We have a lot of first and second-year guys, and I am not far from where they are now," Tate said. "I just try to help them as much as I can because I know how it is being a young guy trying to figure out how to be successful.

"That's why I am here. That's why I signed my contract. I am trying to help our young guys and make the game easier. We still have some things to work on, and we are doing our best."

In 179 career games with the Rockets, Tate has averaged 11.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game.