"It hurts": Jalen Green breaks silence on getting traded, puts NBA on notice with huge Devin Booker statement in emotional interview

Jalen Green attended the Phoenix Suns-Washington Wizards Summer League game on Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Green, who was traded by the Houston Rockets in a seven-team move that sent Kevin Durant and Clint Capela to Houston, cheered for the Suns, his new team.

Green spoke to reporters after the game about the trade:

“It hurts. Houston is home to me and forever will be home to me. ... It’s sad to leave but it’s a business, though. You gotta understand that.”

Green joins a team with Devin Booker as the franchise cornerstone. When asked about how two guards who want the ball can play well together, Green replied:

“We are two people who are gonna accept the double teams and be able to play off each other. … We are two people who can score the basketball. We are two people who attract the defense. … Me and him are going to be a deadly duo.”

The Houston Rockets used their No. 2 pick in the 2021 NBA draft to get Jalen Green, star of the G League Ignite. In Green’s first two seasons, the Rockets finished with a 42-162 record. They significantly improved during the 2023-24 season under coach Ime Udoka, who guided the team to a 41-41 finish. Last season, the Rockets had a 52-30 win-loss record, securing the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

Udoka had limited scoring options at his disposal, a big reason Houston lost to the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. To address that, the Rockets acquired Kevin Durant, one of the NBA’s most efficient and lethal scorers. They gave up Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and draft capital to bring the former MVP to Houston.

Led by Booker and Green, Phoenix will hope to do better next season after failing to make the play-in tournament in 2024.

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The Phoenix Suns got younger by trading Kevin Durant for Jalen Green

The Phoenix Suns sent the 36-year-old Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets for the 23-year-old Jalen Green. Without KD, the Suns’ roster will become significantly younger next season. Bradley Beal and Royce O’Neale, both 32, are the elder statesmen on the team.

The Suns' average age could drop more if the Beal buyout rumors turn out to be true. Reports have emerged that the two camps are close to a buyout and stretch agreement.

The Phoenix Suns also injected youth and athleticism on draft night. After acquiring Jalen Green, they drafted 19-year-old Khaman Maluach and 23-year-old Rasheer Fleming. Phoenix has seven players under 25 years old on regular contracts.