4 players that likely won’t be back with the Rockets next year

1. Jeff Green

At the start of the season, Jeff Green was a member of the Utah Jazz, which was a fit on paper considering their lack of size. But the Utah experiment never seemed to pan out for Green, as he played a career-low 18.4 minutes per game through 30 games with the Jazz.

On top of that, Green averaged a career-low 7.8 points per game on 38.5 percent from the field, which was also a career-low. Because of how bad Green played, it wasn’t necessarily a surprise when the Jazz decided to part ways with him, as it looked like he didn’t have anything left in the tank.

Although every team in the league decided to pass on Green, Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey took a chance on him, which made sense because the risk was low and the reward was incredibly high. Because the market soured on Green, the Rockets were able to sign him for a marginal price, which was important for a team seeking to avoid the luxury tax.

Although Green went two months between playing his final game in Utah and his first game with the Rockets, it was clear he had alot left to offer, as Green instantly became an impact player for the Rockets. Green played so well that he forced the question of whether the Rockets should start him. All in all, he averaged 10.4 points per game on just 6.6 field goal attempts, which were the fewest shot attempts he’s ever needed to score in double-figures.

In addition, Green made 62.5 percent of his shots and 41.2 percent of his 3-pointers, which were both career-highs. Green also had a player efficiency rating of 20 and a true shooting percentage of 73.9 percent, which were also both career-highs.

With the Georgetown product’s stellar performance in Houston, it’s safe to say that he’ll have several opportunities around the league next season, which could spell doom for a Rockets team that will likely be hamstrung financially. Green did alot to increase his value, especially considering how well he performed from 3-point range.

This can’t be understated, as the 3-point shot has become highly coveted around the league, and Green became the best 3-point shooter on the Rockets. For this reason, we shouldn’t expect to see Green in a Rockets uniform next season, because the only reason he was here in the first place is because he was available at a bargain price and didn’t have any value around the league.

Green joins McLemore, Carroll, and Caboclo as the four players who will likely not be back with the Houston Rockets next season.