On June 30, Beijing time, the NBA Rockets team reporter revealed: The team has decided to implement forward player Tate's $7.2 million team option contract next season to continue to play for the Rockets. Rockets management believes that although there are many young players at the small forward position in the team, Tate's presence on the defensive end and the veteran leadership of the team is remarkable.
29-year-old Tate, a small forward, plays for the Rockets in the 2023-2024 season, playing in 65 games in the regular season, he started only 9 games, and the remaining 56 games came off the bench, averaging 15.9 minutes per game, 4.1 points + 3.0 rebounds + 1.0 assists + 0.6 steals + 0.2 blocks, shooting 47.0% from the field, 29.0% from three-point range, and 66.0% from the free throw line.
In fact, there are many small forward players on the Rockets' bench lineup, such as Eason and Amen. Thompson, Whitmore, Bullock and others, but if the Rockets want to hit the playoffs in the new season, although Tate is weak in offensive scoring, it is clear that Tate is more trustworthy in terms of experience on the defensive end, which is an important reason why the team decided to keep him. Of course, the Rockets can also use Tate as a trade weight in future trades, after all, many playoff teams desperately need such players.