Rockets' Jalen Green Faces 'Make or Break' Season

Jalen Green is on the final year of his original Houston Rockets contract.

Jeremy Brener | Sep 20, 2024

Apr 11, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) dribbles past Utah Jazz forward Luka Samanic (19) during the third quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

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Houston Rockets

Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green has one year remaining on his rookie deal, making him a restricted free agent at season's end.

Green has shown flashes throughout his career, but the former No. 2 overall pick hasn't been consistent enough to guarantee that he will be a star for the Rockets someday.

"Green is supremely talented and an unbelievable athlete, even by NBA standards. Whether he can be an efficient or winning player, however, is still in question. His closing stretch last season was as good as he's looked as a pro, and offered evidence that the answer can be yes, on both fronts. The potential dilemma for the Rockets, though, is that Green's best play coincided with Alperen Sengun's absence due to a season-ending knee injury. This feels like a make-or-break season for Green's future in Houston," CBS Sports analyst Jack Maloney writes.

There is belief in Houston that Green can still grow and break out and that he is a good fit next to Sengun. That's what this season is all about for the Rockets. Green and Sengun will both be playing for their next big contract, and the Rockets want to pay both of them hypothetically.

However, Houston may have to make a decision in the other direction if Green doesn't take another step in the right direction.

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Published Sep 20, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.