Jalen Green pens emotional farewell to Houston Rockets after blockbuster trade to Phoenix Suns becomes official

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Jul 08, 2025, 00:43 IST

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Jalen Green bids a tearful farewell to the Houston Rockets after four seasons, joining the Phoenix Suns in a significant seven-team deal. The Rockets, despite Green's demonstrated potential, traded him to acquire Kevin Durant. Green expressed gratitude to Houston for their unwavering support, reminiscing about his draft night and time with teammates. He averaged 20.

Jalen Green pens emotional farewell to Houston Rockets after blockbuster trade to Phoenix Suns becomes official

Jalen Green is in Houston Rockets (Image via Getty Images)

The choice to leave the Houston Rockets, who selected him in the 2021 NBA Draft, was difficult for Jalen Green. However, he recently had to say goodbye to his former base after four incredible years of being named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. On Sunday, he will formally be traded to the Phoenix Suns. Following the news, he shared a heartfelt social media post.

Jalen Green says goodbye to Houston, joins Suns in seven-team mega deal

After a thorough analysis of all the moving players, the Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets finalised the enormous seven-team trade on Sunday. The Houston Rockets' plan to acquire star forward Kevin Durant now includes trading Jalen Green, who is officially on his way to the Phoenix Suns.

Jalen Green is an amazing player (Image via Getty Images)

When the team selected the 23-year-old guard with the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, there were great expectations for him. Ultimately, the Houston Rockets didn't see him as a part of their future, even though he has demonstrated what it takes to be a franchise cornerstone, particularly last season.Nevertheless, as he was leaving, Jalen Green told his former teammates that he loved them. He also shared several highlights from his 2020 draft night on Instagram on Sunday. One of the photos also included him with his former colleagues, including Dillon Brooks. He further wrote in the caption of the post:“H-Town! Thank you for everything… The support and love from day one is something I’ll never forget.. It’s forever..”

During his four years with the Houston Rockets, Jalen Green averaged 20.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. After a three-year break, he assisted them in making a comeback to the postseason. However, he only managed 13.3 points on 37.2% shooting in their first-round loss to the Golden State Warriors.Nevertheless, his exit comes after a disappointing postseason showing that it might have affected the Houston Rockets' choice to make this transaction. He will create a potent backcourt in Phoenix alongside All-Star guards Bradley Beal and Devin Booker. However, Beal is rumoured to have been bought out and traded.Also read: The Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks eye Darvin Ham for coaching staff shake-up

Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu’s inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.

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TOI Sports Desk

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects. We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.

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