Rockets Must 'Figure Out' Jalen Green

The Houston Rockets signed Jalen Green to an extension, but it remains to be seen what he will be for the team in the long run.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 27, 2024

Oct 23, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) reacts after scoring a basket during the fourth quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

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Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets have committed their future with 2021's No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green, signing him to a three-year extension worth $106 million.

Green's deal is far from the biggest in his class, but it is also shorter, which allows him to cash in again when he is 25 years old in 2027.

Bleacher Report writer Eric Pincus says that the Rockets need to get a better idea of what they have in Green this season.

"This season, Houston has to decide if Jalen Green is a foundational piece. (Sources say that still isn't fully decided yet.) If not, is there a pathway to use his contract for an upgrade next offseason? On Monday, the Rockets gave Green a unique three-year, rookie-scale extension with a third-year player option. That type of extension at that price ($35.1 million on average per year) would typically be for longer. Should Green thrive with the Rockets, he will command an even larger deal sooner than his 2021 classmates. That's why teams usually get more of a commitment from players on similar contracts," Pincus writes.

Green essentially had two redshirt seasons to begin his career with head coach Stephen Silas, but growth was there. In Year 3 with Ime Udoka, Green took a step back statistically when starting to learn his way around the new system. However, he picked it up later in the year.

Now with a full offseason under Udoka under his belt, Green can continue to grow and prove to the Rockets that they made the right choice in extending him.

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Published Oct 27, 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.