The Houston Rockets successfully revamped their roster for the 2025-26 season, setting themselves up for a title chase in the loaded Western Conference. When you make quality additions like Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Clint Capela, there will naturally be a few players who have to depart to make room. For the Rockets, the most significant departures were Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks.
While Brooks' intensity and defensive versatility on the wing will certainly be missed, the Rockets' loss of Green may actually be an addition by subtraction.
Rockets Will Likely Not Miss Jalen Green Too Much in the 2025-26 Season
Ever since being the second-overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Green has shown intriguing flashes. In his four years in Houston, Green has demonstrated elite first step, breathtaking athleticism, and a solid ability to create his own shot. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to put it all together to become a reliable contributor at the highest level.
Green has consistently been one of the highest-usage players on the Rockets, carrying a usage rate of above 27% in each of the last three seasons. Yet, he wasn't able to crack league-average efficiency during this span, putting up a 54% True Shooting. Having a high-volume, low-efficiency scorer like Green in the starting lineup was limiting Houston's offensive ceiling.
While Green was a much-improved defender under head coach Ime Udoka, he is still an offense-first shooting guard. And his offense was, unfortunately, not good enough to make up for his deficiencies in other aspects of the game. Therefore, removing Green from the equation should give the Rockets a boost on both ends of the floor.
With Kevin Durant now in the mix, the Rockets don't need Green's shot creation. The 23-year-old's on-ball dynamism and athleticism should still help the Phoenix Suns, who have lower aspirations next season. But for a team like the Rockets, which has its eyes on the Larry O'Brien Trophy, Green is highly replaceable. Rockets fans will see that clearly once the season kicks off on October 21st.