Kelly Iko of The Athletic: “Jalen Green is determined to improve upon his playoff struggles and wants to stay in Houston, league sources say.”
Jalen Green continues to be a rumored possibility in trade talks for Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant, and he’s coming off an underwhelming 2025 NBA playoffs with the Houston Rockets.
Yet, entering his fifth professional season, it doesn’t appear that the 23-year-old is looking for a fresh start. Instead, he wants to make amends in Houston.
Per Kelly Iko of The Athletic:
Green, whose name has been connected to Durant and other stars in trade rumors, is determined to improve upon his playoff struggles and wants to stay in Houston, league sources say.
Granted, until there is finality on the Durant front, there remains the possibility that 2024-25 was Green’s swan song with the Rockets.
But if Durant goes elsewhere, or if his trade package to Houston doesn’t include Green, it appears both the Rockets and the 6-foot-6 guard are committed to giving things another go.
During the 2024-25 regular season, Green was the leading scorer (21.0 points per game) on a Houston squad that finished with the No. 2 record (52-30) in the Western Conference.
But in the playoffs versus Golden State, he was just the fourth-leading scorer (13.3 points), and his true-shooting percentage dipped from 54.4% in the regular season to 48.2% against the Warriors.