New Jalen Green comments are enough to make a Rockets fan cry

The Houston Rockets traded Jalen Green for basketball reasons, but they'll miss him as a person. He put his electrifying personality on full display in a recent article with the Players' Tribune, saying goodbye to Houston.

It's an emotional read for any diehard fan of the team. It's human to be a fan. Fandom has a way of destroying rationality. Sure, Green has underperformed:

But he's our inefficient volume scoring guard!

Not anymore. Green is a Sun now. It's for the best for all parties:

Even he's quick to acknowledge that.

Green acknowledges value of trade in new article

"This is a business, and if I was up there in the executive chair, I probably would’ve made the deal, too."

-Jalen Green, The Players' Tribune

That's interesting. It suggests a level of maturity that Rockets fans have long acknowledged in Green's character. He's never wanted anything handed to him, and he's often taken accountability for the warts in his game. Those character traits endeared him to Houston, and he reciprocated the love.

"The food, the music, the way people are …. Houston is one of the most underrated places in America."

-Jalen Green, The Players' Tribune

Some Rockets fans are thankful to see Green go. Others are glad to welcome Kevin Durant into the fold. Wherever you stand, there's no reason to direct negativity at Green. He's a good kid with a clear desire to be a good NBA player.

With that out of the way, he's right about one thing: The Rockets made the right decision.

Rockets shouldn't regret trading Green

Putting emotions aside, Green was one of the least efficient high-volume scorers in the NBA in 2024-25. Kevin Durant is one of the most efficient high-volume scorers in NBA history. The Rockets won 52 games last year. It stands to reason that replacing Green with Durant will make them serious title contenders.

Moreover, making that switch didn't require them to shortchange the future. Houston held onto most of their valuable assets moving forward. They have five young players with ample potential and a bevy of future first-round picks. That's a rare position for a team with one of the league's most talented rosters to be in.

So, all is well in H-Town. That doesn't mean we can't lament the loss of Green on an emotional level. He saw the Rockets through their darkest days. When nothing else was going well, his occasional scoring outbursts inspired hope. Now, they'll happen elsewhere - potentially even in Houston.

If so, expect a standing ovation from the Toyota Center.