The Houston Rockets were smart to re-sign veteran Gerald Green, a valuable contributor on last season’s team and a hometown fan favorite.
The Houston Rockets opened their 2018 summer of free agency by signing a high-flying small forward whose career highlight reel holds its own against anyone in the league today.
No, it wasn’t LeBron James. The Rockets agreed to bring back Gerald Green — an integral part of last season’s 65-win team — on a one-year deal worth a reported $2.4 million.
Thanks to his youthful look and bouncy legs, it’s easy to forget that Green is 32 years old and heading into his 14th professional season.
Green was born in Houston and was a high school All-American at Gulf Shores Prep in the city. He was part of the NBA’s last preps-to-pros draft class in 2005, before the league introduced its age minimum. He is a well-traveled journeyman, having played for eight NBA teams and spending two years playing pro ball in Russia.
This is Green’s second stint with his hometown team. He made a one-game cameo for Houston during the 2007-08 season, acquired in a midseason trade and released a couple of weeks later. He returned a full decade later last season, averaging 12.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per game for the Rockets while hitting 36.9 percent of his 3-pointers.
Houston was smart to keep Green in the fold. Here are three reasons why.