The Houston Rockets should not re-sign Gerald Green this summer

Gerald Green was a very good pickup by Daryl Morey back in December of 2017, but his time with the Houston Rockets has run its course.

In December of 2017, Gerald Green was at home working on his game, hoping an NBA team would give him another shot. Fortunately, the Rockets needed another guard to help fill in the bench, so they were willing to give Green a spot on the team.

Green signed a contract with Houston on Dec. 28, 2017, and played in Boston against the Celtics on the same night. The Houston native finished the game scoreless, which was understandable, considering he hadn’t been on the floor in about seven months. However, Green quickly found his way in Houston, averaging 17.3 points on 42.5 percent shooting from 3-point range over his next nine games and earning himself a permanent spot in Houston’s rotation.

However, Green’s numbers and minutes regressed in the following year. He averaged just 9.2 points per game in the 2018-19 season, and his 3-point percentage took a slight dip. He is an all-or-nothing type player, as his streaky shooting can either win or lose ball games.

Unfortunately, Green didn’t help the Rockets win much at all in this year’s postseason. Green averaged only 3.5 points per game in the playoffs on 30 percent shooting. He also managed to grab just three steals and dish out only one assist over the Rockets’ entire playoff run.

Mike D’Antoni didn’t give Green a lot of playing time in the Western Conference Semifinals. With Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson getting the lion’s share of the minutes in Golden State’s back court, Green was heavily out matched as a defender, and it’s hard to justify much playing time for him if he isn’t pouring in 3s.

This is exactly why the Rockets should move on from Green, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Over the last two seasons, any result not ending in a championship was considered unacceptable for Houston. For a team of this caliber, the regular season is just a warm-up and their performance in the playoffs is how they will ultimately be judged.

The Rockets have over $113 million committed to their starting five alone, and they clearly need to add pieces in order to build a team capable of winning a championship. If Green can’t contribute in any meaningful way in the postseason, the Rockets should move on and look for a younger guard with better skills.

Green’s work in the Houston community, especially during Hurricane Harvey, was extremely admirable and will never be forgotten. But this group’s championship window won’t be open for long, and every rotational player must be able to contribute in a meaningful way in the postseason.

Clearly, Green doesn’t fit that description any more, and he isn’t getting any younger. It’s time for the Houston Rockets to move on.