All NBA season, the Houston Rockets have made it clear that they want to speed up their rebuild. They’ve already parted ways with their head coach and have been connected to some big-name free agents. The most notable is James Harden, who recently declined his player option for next year.
Along with bringing in free agents, the Rockets are also willing to part with some pieces of their core if it means getting back in the playoffs. Reports recently emerged that the team could trade Jalen Green in a “win now” type of move.
Houston drafted Green with the second overall pick back in 2021, and he’s shown great promise early in his career. In 76 games this season, he averaged 22.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jalen Green, James Harden & Houston Rockets Updates
Of all the players in the Rockets’ core, Green has arguably performed the best. On top of that, his game is tailor-made for today’s NBA. That makes this rumor of the team shopping him quite interesting.
Green being the odd man out might have to do with the players the Rockets plan on targeting in the summer. If Houston does manage to sign James Harden, he will become the new lead guard and run the offense.
This leaves little opportunity for Green to grow, which would only stunt his development. Meanwhile, the rest of the Rockets’ young players could greatly benefit from playing alongside a player like Harden.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jalen Green, James Harden & Houston Rockets Updates
All the rumors that have come out of Houston point to one clear message, they are done rebuilding and want to speed up the process. That being said, in terms of trade pieces, Green is their best option. He’s a 20-point-per-game scorer and would likely yield the best return of all their core players.
Parting ways with him at 21 years old is a tough move, but one Houston might be forced to make if they want to get competitive right away.
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