Jalen Green Trade Coming for Rockets?

The Houston Rockets could look to trade Jalen Green soon.

Dec 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) controls the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the second quarter in a semifinal of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets are emerging as a true contender in the league, but they are lacking that dynamic offensive player to take them over the top.

When comparing the Rockets to the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, both defenses are pretty close to one another, but the difference in the two teams is a playmaker like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The Rockets don't need a player that's as good as Gilgeous-Alexander since those are very hard, if not impossible to find. Houston hopes that Jalen Green can emerge into that player, but he has proven that he isn't that player yet.

The Rockets could continue to be patient with Green, and they likely will until they lose a playoff series with him on the roster, but the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft could end up becoming the key piece to a trade that eventually lands that playmaker to take Houston over the top.

Green's contract extension kicks in after this season, making his salary much more comparable to players that the Rockets should look to acquire.

Green can still be that guy but he is running out of time. He needs to prove that he can be consistent enough to drop 20 points per game in a playoff series before the Rockets can decide whether or not to move on from him.

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