If someone told the Houston Rockets they could measure the trade value of Jalen Green midway through his third season, they would probably cry. But the truth is, the former second overall pick hasn't been particularly impressive since arriving in the league.
Stephen Silas was certainly one of the worst coaches in the game, and losing habits are hard to break. The Rockets played sloppy, clunky basketball with little interest in winning games, and that didn't help with Green's already questionable shot selection.
Of course, we've seen some glimpses of greatness from time to time, and the talent is definitely there. But the Rockets hired Emi Udoka to try to improve now, and they're not far behind in the Western Conference standings.
That's why they should look at Jalen Green's potential trade value. They should be very aggressive in the next couple of weeks, and most of the potential deals before the trade deadline should revolve around the G-League product.
The Rockets need more depth
The latest news regarding the Rockets trade deadline hasn't been very interesting, but this team will have to work overtime to improve now. They thought Jabari Smith Jr. and Jalen Green were going to be stars, but it turns out that Alberin Singgun is now their best player, and it's not even close.
These things happen, and now the front office has to pivot to the young Turkish big man, who has shown untapped potential as something similar to a poor man's Nikola Jokic. And with a winning coach like Emi Udoka, it is still too early to rule them out or give up on them this season.
The Rockets made an excellent choice when they selected Amen Thompson. He needs to be on the floor as much as possible, and he has proven he has the potential to be this year's Defensive Player of the Year, masking Fred VanVleet's defensive shortcomings.
Thompson's offensive style is clearly close to Green's, but Green has been a calorie-free player for the most part, posting big numbers in missing efforts and knocking down shots despite his lack of efficiency. Thompson, on the other hand, is not a high-usage guy and doesn't need to have the ball in his hands to make an offensive impact.
VanVleet can score points in the blink of an eye, and Sengun will become a better scorer over time. Having Thompson and Smith take care of the defense, and rounding out Dillon Brooks or — even better — Tarry Eason would help the Rockets have one of the best defensive lineups in the league.
Green is still very young, and is still three years away from being the No. 2 overall pick, so he could still have a lot of value in the league, especially on rebuilding teams. The Rockets need veteran players, length, and a backup point guard, and moving on from Green could give them that.
Maybe they can use it to acquire Dejounte Murray, even if it means trading draft picks as well. Murray could also help revamp the team's defense while being a more efficient scorer than Green, and perhaps they could also get Bogdan Bogdanovic in return.
Green has the potential to be one of the best scorers in the game, but just like with players like Jordan Poole, that's not necessarily always a good thing. It's not his fault that things got worse in Houston, but his lack of development and poor shot selection didn't help much either, so they should make the most of his trade value while he still has nothing.
