Rockets Guarantee Jeff Green’s Salary For 2024/25

The Rockets have guaranteed Jeff Green‘s salary for the 2024/25 season, confirms Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Houston exercised Green’s team option at the June 29 deadline, but his salary didn’t become fully guaranteed for another couple weeks.

As our list of early salary guarantee dates shows, Houston would have had to waive Green on or before July 11 in order to avoid being on the hook for his $8MM base salary in 2024/25. There were reports leading up to free agency indicating that the Rockets had no plans to cut the veteran forward, so it comes as no surprise that the two sides didn’t agree to push back that guarantee date.

Green will turn 38 years old next month and will be entering his 18th NBA season this fall. He continued to play a regular rotation role for the Rockets last season, though his 16.8 minutes per game represented a new career low. He averaged 6.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 78 appearances (six starts), posting a shooting line of .456/.331/.819.

Green’s contract also includes $1.6MM in annual incentives, but he didn’t earn those bonuses last season, so they’re considered unlikely in 2024/25 and have been removed from his cap hit, lowering that figure from $9.6MM to $8MM. Green would have to appear in at least 55 games and average 19 or more minutes per contest in order to earn that extra $1.6MM.

Green is one of a handful of players on Houston’s roster who could become a trade chip for salary-matching purposes if the team looks to make a major move before or during the season. Green ($8MM), Jock Landale ($8MM), and Jae’Sean Tate ($7.57MM) are all on contracts that don’t include any guaranteed money beyond ’24/25.