What’s Ahead For Jeff Green In 2024-2025?

In a move that was somewhat of a surprise, the Rockets brought back veteran forward Jeff Green this summer, signed to a two-year, $16 million contract which will pay him $8 million annually. The team will have a club option on Green's second season, which essentially makes him an expiring contract for trade purposes.

When the 38-year-old Green was originally acquired last summer, it was believed that his role would be primarily to serve as a calming influence in a lockerroom of young players still on their rookie contracts. Instead, Green immediately became the team's backup center, playing an instrumental role in the team's success, especially early in the season, and closing out games at power forward against matchups where 20-year-old Jabari Smith Jr. struggled. Green started the season on fire, shooting 56.5% from the floor and 38.9% from long distance in 13 games in November. Those numbers then dipped the rest of the way before recovering in March where he shot 38.1% from long distance in 13 games.

Green unexpectedly played a major role in Rafael Stone's rebuild of the Rockets. The plan all along was to supplement the team's young talent with veteran support and Stone did that, signing guard Fred VanVleet, wing Dillon Brooks, and Green last summer in free agency. The plan resoundingly worked. The Rockets improved to 41 wins and maintained one of the top defenses in the league all season. Phase 3 would be a playoff appearance.

So what's next for Green in Houston now that he's back? Last season at the trade deadline, the Rockets acquired veteran center Steven Adams in a trade from Memphis in exchange for three second-round picks and guard Victor Oladipo. It was a steep cost for a player who did not see time on the floor all season due to injury, but the team clearly has high hopes that Adams can be a contributor this season, now that he has recovered. Adams is a relentless rebounder and interior defender and one of the best screen setters in the league. If healthy, he'll immediately give the team an imposing physical presence behind and even next to starting center Alperen Sengun. He should get the bulk of the backup center minutes.

And third year forward Tari Eason should be back too, fresh after missing the majority of the year due to a lower leg injury. By advanced statistical measures, Eason has been one of the team's best players over the past two seasons and if fully healthy, should soak up the majority of the remaining backup frontcourt minutes behind Sengun, Smith, and Brooks, the starters. Sophomore Amen Thompson could even see minutes at power forward given the disruptive nature of his defensive abilities.

All of that means that if all goes to plan, Green's role will be to impart wisdom to the young Rockets from the bench, as he has been more than willing to do. Still, as we saw last season, Green will be ready, if and when he's needed.