Tari Eason, Dorian Finney-Smith hope to rejoin Rockets in coming weeks

After undergoing offseason surgery on his left ankle, veteran Rockets forward Dorian Finney-Smith is “starting to ramp it up,” per head coach Ime Udoka.

However, a return to game action is unlikely until January, according to an update prior to Houston’s Dec. 3 home game versus Sacramento.

“Dorian is improving,” Udoka said (via Matt Young, Houston Chronicle). “He’s starting to ramp it up a little bit. He’ll get some live work in. Obviously, how he reacts to that determines when he gets back. It will be a little bit still. I think we’re anticipating more around January hopefully, but he’s getting into the phase of playing a little bit more now.”

A 6-foot-7 forward who is known for his defense, Finney-Smith averaged 8.7 points and 3.9 rebounds in 28.9 minutes per game last season while shooting a career-best 41.1% on 3-pointers. He’s now 32 years old, and he hasn’t played in a game since leaving the Los Angeles Lakers to sign with the Rockets in 2025 free agency.

Meanwhile, fourth-year forward Tari Eason — who hasn’t played since straining his right oblique on Nov. 14 — could return before the end of December (via Michael Shapiro, Chron.com). That would fit with the original projection of a four-to-six week absence, and it likely puts Eason on course to return prior to Finney-Smith.

Eason, 24, was averaging 11.5 points and 5.2 rebounds in 23.2 minutes per game this season while shooting a career-high 50.9% on 3-pointers.

The returns of Eason and Finney-Smith would significantly add to the depth, length, and defensive versatility of the Rockets (14-5), who rank No. 3 in the NBA in defensive rating over the season’s first six weeks.

More: Rockets forward Tari Eason likely to miss at least a month with oblique strain

This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Tari Eason, Dorian Finney-Smith hope to rejoin Rockets in coming weeks