Jabari Smith Jr. enters his fourth season already extended through 2030-31, with last season's 15.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 56.9% true shooting as his baseline. The Rockets need that efficiency to hold at starter's minutes as Houston closes the preseason against Oklahoma City.
Last season
Smith Jr. played 77 games at 35.1 minutes, posting 15.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists. He connected on 44.9% of his shots and 36.3% of his threes on 6.3 attempts, with a 77.5% free-throw mark. The volume makes him a full-time frontcourt starter, not a floor-spacing specialist alone.
Last season, by the advanced numbers
His on-court split read 117.0 offensive rating against 112.0 defensive rating, a five-point swing in Houston's favor. Usage sat at 17.9%, true shooting at 56.9%, with modest 7.3% assist and 9.6% rebound rates. The efficiency outpaces the usage: Smith Jr. profiles as a low-touch, high-value scorer inside the offense.
This summer
Houston's extension locks him in at $23.6M this season, climbing to $21.8M, then $23.6M, $25.5M and $27.4M through 2030-31. That is long-term money for a 23-year-old entering his fourth season, and it ties his future to this core through the back half of Durant's run.
Last season's best units
In the Durant-Okogie-Sengun-Thompson five, Smith Jr.'s unit outscored opponents by 10.3 points per hundred possessions across 377 minutes. Swap Okogie for Eason and the margin held at plus-9.1 over 306 minutes. Replace Eason with Sheppard, though, and the same frontcourt pairing dropped to minus-6.4 across 273 minutes.
This week
Smith Jr. carries no designation on Houston's injury log entering Thursday's preseason finale against the Thunder. The question now is whether he can hold last season's 56.9% true-shooting efficiency across a full starter's workload, rather than producing it only in the lineups that worked.
Is Jabari Smith Jr. injured ahead of Thursday's game?
No, Smith Jr. has no injury listing entering the preseason finale against the Thunder.
What is Jabari Smith Jr.'s contract with the Rockets?
He is signed through the 2030-31 season, with salaries rising from $23.6M this season to $27.4M in the final year.
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