Jae'Sean Tate News: Healthy again, but outside rotation

Tate (ankle) played the final 7:14 of Monday's 137-109 win over the Nets, finishing with four points (2-3 FG), one rebound and one steal.

Tate sat out the Rockets' season-opening loss to the Thunder last Tuesday while completing his recovery from the ankle injury he sustained in the 2025 postseason, but he was cleared to play ahead of Friday's matchup with the Pistons. He went unused in the Rockets' narrow four-point loss to Detroit, but Monday's blowout win afforded Tate some run in garbage time. Though the 30-year-old is a quality defender who's capable of filling in at multiple positions, he's unlikely to be a regular part of the rotation in 2025-26 while the Rockets are reasonably healthy.