NBA Rumors: There's a belief the Houston Rockets may have extended Jalen Green with the intention of trading him in the future.
Just before the rookie-scale extension deadline, the Houston Rockets signed Jalen Green to a three-year contract extension. However, it may not be exactly as it seems. Generally speaking, when a team signs a young player in the rookie-scale extension window, it's because the team believes there's a bright future with them. But that may not be the case for the Rockets and Green.
Green signed a unique three-year deal that's really a two-year contract extension with a player option for a third year. Objectively speaking, it's a very tradable contract. It's short and not that expensive considering the level of max contracts that are being signed elsewhere.
And you have to applaud the Rockets for this move. On one hand, the Rockets clearly didn't want to enter next offseason with Green entering restricted free agency. On the other hand, they also didn't way to give a rookie-scale max extension to Green. This was a fair resolution for both sides.
According to recent speculation, there are many across the league who believe Green's extension was a way for the Rockets to buy time for a possible trade.
This season could decide Jalen Green's future
But much of that will depend on how this season goes for both Green and the Rockets. Through one game, the inconsistencies continue to pile up for Green and the Rockets. Green scored 28 points in the team's season-opening loss to the Charlotte Hornets but shot just 39 percent shooting from the field and 33 percent shooting from 3-point range. While the production may be there for Green, it's the inefficiency that continues to blur his future with the team and his overall ceiling as a player in the NBA.
And if the inconsistency continues for both the Rockets and Green this season, the front office is going to have to at least explore the possibility of making a big trade. And if a big trade were to come to fruition for the Rockets, it would almost certainly have to include Green.
Because of his recently signed extension, Green can't be traded until next summer. But even after signing an extension, I'd imagine the trade rumors involving Green aren't exactly over and done with.