Jalen Green has become the NBA’s favorite hypothetical. Every trade column this month has found a reason to put him in a deal. Phoenix has been telling people the opposite.
The Reporting That Matters
John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports addressed the Darius Garland-to-Phoenix chatter directly on Sept. 9 and dismissed it entirely. There have been no discussions between the teams, he said, and the Suns are going to give Jalen Green every opportunity.
Green is penciled into the starting backcourt. That is the actual situation, and it is worth remembering before reading another column about why he has to go.
Why People Keep Bringing It Up
The speculation is not baseless. Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report named Green a sneaky trade candidate on fit grounds, pointing to the lineup data: Devin Booker with Collin Gillespie produced a net rating of plus-8.7, while Booker with Green sat at plus-2.8.
Dave McMenamin of ESPN called Green’s fit the biggest question mark on the roster.
Those are fair observations. They are also observations about 27 games, which is all Booker and Green managed to play together last season.
The Hamstring Ruined Everything
Green strained his right hamstring in training camp and missed the first eight games. He debuted Nov. 6 and scored 29. He re-aggravated it two days later. Phoenix announced a four-to-six week timeline on Nov. 11.
He returned Jan. 20 after missing 33 consecutive games, then exited on Jan. 23 against Atlanta with hamstring tightness, and left again on April 8 against Dallas with a right leg injury.
Green described the cycle himself: getting injured, coming back, getting injured again, coming back. He said it happened three or four times.
He finished with 17.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 32 games, shooting 42.2 percent overall and 31.3 percent from three across 25.9 minutes. In four playoff games against Oklahoma City he averaged 21.8 points on 37.8 minutes, but shot 38.6 percent from the field and 20.6 percent from deep.
The Contract Is Not the Obstacle
Green is 24 and on a three-year, $105.3 million rookie extension signed in October 2024. His 2026-27 cap hit is $36.25 million, and 2027-28 is a $36 million player option with a June 2027 deadline. He has two years remaining and hits unrestricted free agency in 2028.
That is a movable contract for a former No. 2 overall pick who is still 24. It is also exactly the kind of deal a team regrets trading if the player figures it out.
How He Ended Up in Phoenix
Green arrived in the seven-team, 13-player Kevin Durant trade completed July 6, 2025, the largest in NBA history. Phoenix received Green, Dillon Brooks, Khaman Maluach at No. 10, Rasheer Fleming at No. 31, Koby Brea at No. 41, Daeqwon Plowden and two second-rounders. Houston got Durant and Clint Capela.
Green was the centerpiece of that return. Trading him 15 months later, after a season where he was healthy for 32 games, would be an admission the Suns evaluated the whole deal wrong.
Give Him the Season
The fit concerns are legitimate and the lineup data is not flattering. But a 24-year-old who could not stay on the floor long enough to build chemistry with his co-star has not actually been evaluated yet.
Phoenix knows that. It is why they are not answering the phone.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.