Jalen Green Timeline for Return to Suns from Hamstring Injury Revealed by NBA Insider

Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green is reportedly targeting a return to the lineup by the end of December.

According to Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports, Green is hoping to return for the Suns' final road trip of 2025, which will see them play back-to-back games against the New Orleans Pelicans, followed by games against the Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers from Dec. 26 through Dec. 31:

Green has played in only two games this season, and he has missed the past 16 contests with a hamstring injury.

Phoenix got off to a surprisingly hot start, but it has struggled as of late, losing five of its past seven games and three of its past four.

Green is in the midst of his first season with the Suns after coming over in the blockbuster trade that sent Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets.

Originally selected second overall in the 2021 NBA draft, Green is averaged 15.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in the two games he has appeared in for the Suns thus far.

Green has shown a great deal of promise as an offensive force ever since entering the league, averaging 17.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.3 three-pointers made per game as a rookie.

With Houston in a full-on rebuild mode, the 2021-22 campaign was almost exclusively about developing young players and getting them ready to play winning basketball in the future.

He showed marked improvement in his second season, averaging 22.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.5 three-pointers made per contest.

While Green's numbers dipped a bit in 2023-24 following the arrival of Fred VanVleet in free agency, he still put up a solid 19.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 three-pointers made per game.

Last season, Green played in all 82 games for a second straight year and put up 21.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.9 three-pointers made per contest.

The Rockets were the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference last season with a 52-30 record, resulting in their first playoff appearance since 2020.

They were knocked out in the first round, though, prompting them to seek a big move, which came in the form of acquiring Durant.

Green's arrival helped the Suns get younger and more dynamic, although the organization hasn't truly gotten a chance to see what he can do.

Even so, Phoenix is in the thick of the playoff race, as a 14-12 record currently has it seventh in the Western Conference.

Until Green is able to return to action, Devin Booker will continue to be Phoenix's go-to guy, while Dillon Brooks, Grayson Allen and Collin Gillespie will remain key contributors as well.