Jalen Green
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Jalen Green of the Phoenix Suns has only played two games this season.
It has been a tough first season with the Phoenix Suns for Jalen Green, who has been hampered by a hamstring injury. Green has taken the next step in his recovery from a strained right hamstring that has limited him to just two games.
Speaking to reporters before Friday’s game against the New York Knicks, coach Jordan Ott shared an update on Green’s recovery. He has been playing live on-court workouts with the coaching staff, but they aren’t looking at a specific date for his return.
“You’re going to feel some general soreness just by getting out there on the court, and that’s normal. That’s not abnormal. That’s not specific to the injury. He’s got to keep going. He’s going to have to fight through some that overall just soreness of back on the court. Now he’s getting bodies. The beating and banging with the bodies, and know we’re right there. Got to get across the finish line,” Ott said, via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
The Suns are still taking the cautious approach with everything since he has re-aggravated his injury twice already. It’s all about his body getting used to the pain of playing.
Green’s Reoccurring Injury
The Phoenix Suns moved on from Kevin Durant in the offseason, trading him to the Houston Rockets in a historic seven-team deal. The Suns acquired Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Khaman Maluach from the Rockets.
Brooks has been phenomenal for Phoenix, while Maluach needs a lot of time before he can have a more polished game. He’s a raw prospect who has all the tools to be a really good player.
As for Green, he has been dealing with a right hamstring issue since before the preseason. He was slated to play in Macau before re-aggravating it during practice.
Green missed the first eight games of the season and made his Suns debut on November 8 against the Los Angeles Clippers. He had 29 points in 23 minutes, helping Phoenix earn a 115-102 win. He played again two days later, but he suffered a hamstring injury seven minutes into the game.
ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported that Green will miss at least four to six weeks because of the injury. After six weeks, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic extended his timeline of recovery to two to three weeks. He’s on his third week, but he’s not close to getting cleared.
Green Not Available for Trade
According to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, the Milwaukee Bucks are monitoring Jalen Green amid their search for the secondary scorer ahead of the February trade deadline.
However, Siegel also reported that the Phoenix Suns aren’t interested in parting ways with Green despite his injury. The Suns are playing well without the 23-year-old guard at 23-15, so they can afford to let him recover fully from his hamstring issue.
Green is in the first year of a three-year, $105.3 million contract extension. While it’s normal to worry about his hamstring, he had been durable in his first four years in the NBA. He has only missed 21 games in total, playing the full season in the past two years.