NBA Rumors: Rockets' Jalen Green Has Generated 'a Little Buzz' as Trade Candidate

Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green has reportedly seen "a little buzz" as a potential target ahead of the 2024 NBA trade deadline.

ESPN's Zach Lowe reported Green is an "under-the-radar" name league executives have highlighted as potentially being made available in talks. It's worth noting that the Rockets aren't reported to be shopping Green, just that there is scuttlebutt around the NBA that he could find himself on the move if the right deal came along.

Green has seen his star dim during the 2023-24 season. His scoring average dipped to 18.2 points per game after he put up 22.1 a night a year ago, and he's shooting a career-low 41.0 percent from the floor. There has been almost no discernible improvement in Green's game in any facet since his promising rookie season.

Still just 21 years old, Green has plenty of potential to continue developing, but he's not ascended in the way the Rockets hoped. Of the top four players taken in the 2021 NBA draft, it's pretty easy to argue Green is the worst of the bunch. Cade Cunningham has been arguably the lone bright spot in a miserable Pistons season, while Evan Mobley and Scottie Barnes have developed into two-way studs in Cleveland and Toronto, respectively.

If the Rockets have soured on Green's development, it might be smart to float his name out in trade talks while he still carries value. Teams that aren't doing their due diligence could look at his age and solid scoring prowess and hope the Rockets' developmental system is at fault rather than Green.

The continued mediocre play of Jabari Smith Jr. and the wildly disappointing rookie season of Amen Thompson could give credence to the theory Houston is more of an issue than the players. That said, this is the same organization that's developed Alperen Sengun into a stud, so it remains hard to tell where the line stops.