Alperen Sengun 'Sad' Jalen Green Was in Kevin Durant-Rockets Trade, 'Like My Brother'

Alperen Şengün and the Houston Rockets landed an all-time great this offseason, but it cost them one of Şengün's favorite teammates.

The Rockets included Jalen Green in the package to the Phoenix Suns for Kevin Durant earlier this summer. Şengün opened up about how hard it was to lose Green in the trade.

"I was sad when he left. He was like my brother. I was sad when I got the news," Şengün said on Socrates Degi (h/t HoopsHype). "I was very sad—but at the same time, Kevin Durant is coming. Still, Jalen was my brother. I called Jalen right away and told him how I felt: "I hope this trade motivates you even more." Because I believe Jalen is going to be a really great player. Sometimes he battles with himself, but I think he won’t do that anymore and will mature even more in his game. I truly believe he’s going to be a big player. I wish him all the best. We’re still talking, and I’ll bring him to Turkey too."

Both Green and Şengün were drafted by the Rockets in 2021, so they've spent their entire NBA careers together.

"Of course it was tough. Jalen was like a brother to me," Şengün said (h/t HoopsHype). "We learned the NBA together. I didn't speak any English when I first arrived. We learned everything from them."

While Şengün would have preferred to keep Green in Houston, the trade could be the best thing for both parties. Landing Durant makes the Rockets a Finals contender, while Green being in Phoenix could allow him to get to the next level as a player without the pressure of competing for a title.