Jalen Green, Houston Rockets
When it comes to potential, there may not be many young players more talented in the NBA than Jalen Green. However, overall, it's safe to say that throughout the first few years of his career, he's left much to be desired as a star player. There are nights when he looks like he has the potential to be one of the best offensive players in the league. Although, too often than not, Green is too inconsistent on both ends of the floor.
And that's exactly what we have witnessed with Green in Houston's first-round NBA Playoff series against the Golden State Warriors. Sure, it wasn't a great matchup for the Rockets. Nevertheless, when they needed Green to stand out the most, he failed. With the exception of a strong Game 2 in which he finished with 38 points and six assists, Green was pretty much a disappointment for the Rockets.
As one of the best players on the roster, the Rockets needed more from Green on a consistent basis to beat the Warriors. They didn't, and that's one of the biggest reasons why the Rockets currently find themselves in a dogfight with Golden State in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. As the Rockets prepare to head into the offseason with a priority to upgrade the roster, trading Green could very much be on the table for the franchise. At the very least, it's something they'll have to think about.
If the Rockets are going to get into the conversation for the likes of Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, or any other superstar who may hit the trade block this summer, they're going to need a big salary piece to build a package around. Based on the team's efforts in the NBA Playoffs, perhaps the player they should build an offer around should be Green over Alperen Sengun.