Want to win the championship with the Rockets! Ethan officially responded to the failure to renew his contract, and his mother spoke out to clarify the rumors of money greed.

On October 22, in Ethan’s opinion, nothing had changed. The fourth-year forward and the Rockets failed to agree on a contract extension before Monday night's local time deadline, meaning Eason will become a restricted free agent next summer.

After the Rockets' shooting training in the opening game, Ethan formally responded to the failure to renew his contract in his speech and reiterated his desire to compete for the championship this season.

"This is a business matter, nothing personal," Ethan said. "I don't think it will change my goals. I came here to win a championship with the Rockets. This is my real core focus."

When asked if he hoped to continue playing for the Rockets next season, Ethan replied: "Of course. You know, I was drafted here, this is my home. They brought me to the NBA, and Houston has been like home and family to me since day one. So the answer is, at least publicly, Ethan won't do the Jordan-esque "I'm sorry about this." Previously, Ethan had said that he was not included in ESPN's list of the top 100 NBA players for the 2025-26 season, which made him feel left out; at the same time, he also declared that his goal this season is to win the NBA's Best Sixth Man Award. Last season, because he failed to meet the minimum number of appearances, Ethan was not eligible for NBA awards.

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

As the No. 17 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, Eason refused to discuss the details of contract extension negotiations-the negotiations lasted until the last hour before the deadline at 5 pm local time on Monday. Earlier this summer, the Rockets were confident they could reach a deal with Eason after completing a contract extension with Jabari Smith Jr. But in the end, the two sides failed to find consensus.

Last season, due to the continued pain in his left calf that underwent surgery, Ethan only played 57 games for the Rockets, but averaged 24.9 minutes per game, setting a career high. Eason is an aggressive on-ball defender who can guard smaller players on the perimeter and cut off passing lanes in the paint. His high steal rate makes him one of the team's best scoring threats in transition.

In the half-court offense, the Rockets mainly let Eason play an off-ball role, either cutting to the basket or opening up space in the corner. Eason reiterated his desire to take on a larger role this season, including taking more ball-handling duties in the half-court offense - a role he frequently assumed in preseason games against the Pelicans to relieve the team's defensive pressure.

"I feel that I have been able to complete some hand-to-hand passes and other coordination, and even initiate attacks and advance with the ball a few times," Ethan said. "I think in the preseason, I have been given more opportunities to create opportunities for the team. So all I ask for is a It's just an opportunity, and I think they did give me such an opportunity. Next, it depends on whether I can fully grasp it."

After Ethan failed to renew his contract, there were some rumors that his family was too greedy for money. Ethan's mother, Troya Ethan, also responded to the incident on social media.

She wrote: "Don't believe any rumors you hear. People in the Ethan family have never been greedy for money - whether it is going to college, playing in the NBA, doing business promotion, or in life, we always put 'payment' first. As long as we show our strength, wealth will naturally follow. As long as we always focus on basketball itself, no one will lose."