The Houston Rockets can't afford to care what Jalen Green wants

The Houston Rockets have had a tumultuous path back to competitive basketball.

It could have been worse. The Rockets realistically turned this thing around quickly. They went .500 just three seasons after trading James Harden. Taking just four years to get back into the postseason is an impressive accomplishment.

Still, the point is that those tanking years were hard. Rockets fans aren't accustomed to so much losing. So, three straight years at the bottom of the NBA's barrel tested their faith, but it's all paying off now.

It all started with Jalen Green.

When the Rockets picked him 2nd overall in 2021, he was the future. Green's athleticism and scoring instincts tantalized the fanbase. He inspired hope:

But he doesn't anymore.

Many Rockets fans would rank Green 7th out of the team's "core seven". Others would rank him higher, but it wouldn't be controversial to say that Green has been disappointing. Plenty of Rockets fans are ready to move on from him:

Even if Green himself isn't ready to do the same.

Rockets' Green wants to remain in Houston

It's being reported that Green wants to remain in Houston.

Let's be quite clear - that's a good thing. It's quality PR for the organization that players are happy in Space City. Moreover, Green is still on the roster, and it's always optimal if everyone on the roster, well, wants to be on the roster.

So, fans should celebrate this report. So should the front office. That said, Rafael Stone and his team shouldn't put too much stock in Green's preferences.

If they think it's time to move on, they should send him wherever best suits the team.

Rockets can't afford to be sentimental

The conversation around Green is difficult. It's hard to discuss him objectively without coming across as a crumudgeon.

This author is perhaps feeling a bit cranky today.

The 2024-25 season was Green's best. He averaged 21.4 points per game with a below-average 54.4% True Shooting % (TS%) and a barely-positive 0.5 Box Plus/Minus. It was his best season:

But it wasn't particularly strong.

Meanwhile, the league is moving away from players like Green. Two guards are increasingly functioning as smaller 3-and-D wings who can make a play with the ball if necessary. Score first guards tend to run point if they're good enough to justify the usage.

There doesn't seem to be any movement towards puttiong Green in that role.

This isn't to say the Rockets must trade Green. It feels like a sensible option, but not at any cost. The Rockets shouldn't take a major value hit just to move on from his deal.

It's only to say that the Rockets can't afford to care what Green wants. If they see the right deal involving him, they should make it regardless of his preference:

Now that they're playing competitive basketball, they can't afford to be sentimental.