Re-signing Gerald Green
Just moments after re-signing Danuel House at the immediate onset of free agency, the Houston Rockets front office quickly returned back to work to successfully retain yet another native Houstonian in the minutes to follow.
For the second straight offseason, Houston managed to come to terms with forward Gerald Green once again on a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum.
After proving to be an indispensable member to the Rockets second unit, as the 12-year veteran who has played on eight teams in his career is set to return for his third consecutive season with the franchise.
"“He’s earned a lot of trust from everybody,” Houston head coach Mike D’Antoni said per reporters when asked about Green’s contributions to the team over the last two seasons. “The thing I like about him is that he’ll just play 15 minutes and get 10 [3-pointers] up and probably will make a bunch of them, so he’s instant offense and we need that, and he’s trying hard on defense. “He’s athletic, and he can run the floor…we got lucky with him, very lucky.”"
Although most experts are likely to not consider Green’s re-signing as one of the Rockets biggest offseason moves, the 33-year-old guard has typically proven to be a key component off the bench whenever his number is called.
In addition to a quasi-sixth man, as the player who once believed that his playing days were over has found a way to resurrect his career thanks to his ability to provide an instant spark on offense.
Since arriving in Houston almost two years ago, Green has hit more 3-pointers than any other reserve in the NBA, averaging 10.3 points and 2.8 rebounds per game in 21.1 minutes per game.
On the way towards becoming just one of five players to average at least 10 points per game in less than 22 minutes of playing time through 100 games, as the Rockets have posted a 44-15 record in games where the former Slam Dunk champion has scored in double figures during his second tour of duty in Houston.
Should he prove to hold his own on defense — and come up big in the postseason again — then maybe taking a flyer for the second consecutive year could be a solid move this coming season.