Just hours before the Oklahoma City Thunder faced off against the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals on June 22, news broke that Kevin Durant was being traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the 10th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and five second-round picks.
While the Rockets acquired a superstar in Durant, they let go of their best scorer from last season. Despite being one of the best, Green struggled in the playoffs, averaging just 13.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists, which may have been one of the reasons the Rockets decided to move on from him. NBA fans and Phoenix Suns fans, in particular, were waiting to hear from Green after the trade, and he finally broke his silence on Friday.
How Does Jalen Green Feel About Leaving Houston for Phoenix?
Green spoke to the media on the sidelines of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and didn’t hold back his emotions about the trade.
When asked about leaving Houston, he said, “It hurts. Houston is home to me and forever will be home to me. I started my NBA career there, and I have built a lot there, and that’s just the reality of the situation. Obviously, I was sad to leave. It’s a business, though. You’ve got to understand that when you’re coming into the NBA.”
The shooting guard averaged 21.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in the 2024-25 season. However, his playoff struggles may have influenced Houston’s decision to move on. Green averaged just 13.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in the postseason, which may have been one of the reasons the Rockets decided to trade him.
Despite the emotional departure, Green expressed excitement about his new opportunity. When asked about the Phoenix Suns organization, he said that he was “super excited” and that the Suns are a “great organization” with “great people.” He also added that he felt the team would surprise fans and “make a lot of noise” in the 2025-26 season. The guard stated that he was excited to play for a team that has been in the playoffs and finals and plays “winning basketball.”
What Did Green Say About Playing With Devin Booker?
The most intriguing part of Green’s comments focused on his future backcourt partner. When answering a question about playing with Devin Booker, Green said, “Me and him both, it’s going to be a deadly scoring duo, no matter what the situation is.”
Jalen Green on being with Suns: “We’re going to surprise a lot of people and make a lot of noise.”
On trade: “It hurts. Houston is home to me and forever will be home to me.”
On playing with Devin Booker: Me and him are going to be a deadly scoring duo.” #Suns #Rockets pic.twitter.com/TNoTv12FAe
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) July 12, 2025
Green went into more detail about how the two guards could work together. He told the media, “We are two people who are gonna accept the double team and be able to play off each other. …. We are two people who know how to score the basketball, we are two people who know how to attract the defense, and everyone’s going to step around us. So, I mean, when we are doing something like that, you have to pick who you want to score tonight.”
The Phoenix Suns have gone all in on building around Booker after signing him to a record-breaking two-year $145 million extension that will lock him under contract through the 2029-30 NBA season. Green will be in the first year of a three-year $105.3 million extension when he steps on the floor for Phoenix.
Following the trade and the Booker extension, the Suns have made a clear commitment to building around the two score-first guards for the near future. They took the first step towards building around these guards when they drafted center Khaman Maluach with the 10th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, which they acquired from Houston in the Durant trade.
