Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. suffered a sprained right ankle during Saturday’s victory over the Boston Celtics and was held out of Monday night’s matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, according to Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle.
In Smith’s absence, forward Tari Eason stepped into the starting lineup. Eason, who will enter restricted free agency next summer, took on an expanded role as the Rockets looked to maintain their strong start to the season.
Head coach Ime Udoka expressed optimism about Smith’s recovery timeline, telling reporters that the 22-year-old could be back in action as soon as Wednesday’s road game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Smith, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, recently signed a five-year, $122 million rookie scale extension with Houston in July.
The deal, which begins next season, solidifies his role as a cornerstone of the Rockets’ young core alongside Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green.
Smith has played 4 seasons for the Rockets. He has averaged 13.0 points and 7.4 rebounds in 217 regular-season games.
Injury notes on Jabari Smith Jr., Tobias Harris, and more: https://t.co/KwJVbMQqS2
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) November 4, 2025
