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Per league sources, Rockets coach and former Spurs assistant Ime Udoka was a huge fan of Stephon Castle’s (which Castle said he was well aware of). But with veteran Fred VanVleet manning the point guard position and young Jalen Green at the two-guard spot, Castle and his camp sent the kinds of signals Houston’s way that eventually led to him landing in San Antonio. Just as he’d hoped. “I think being (in San Antonio) was always number one on my list,” said Castle, who won Rookie of the Year in 2025. “Internally, I always felt like I was the best player in that draft. (But) I didn’t know what could happen. My agent always told me, like, anything can happen in a draft. Like, you could not work out for a team, not have talked to a team, and they can still take you. So, I mean, I wasn’t really planning on playing in Houston. I didn’t really know how any of that worked. I was kind of hoping I could slide my way to San Antonio. It kind of worked out for me.”
How do you think the Kevin Durant trade played out for the Rockets? Was it worth losing players such as Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks? Metta World Peace: I think it’s played out the same way for both the Rockets and the Phoenix Suns. It was quite an even trade. It’s tough for the Rockets because Durant missed Game 1 with a knee injury, then injured his ankle in Game 2, causing him to miss more time. That hurt them a lot. I’ve been injured in the playoffs, so I know how it feels. I was supposed to be out for six weeks with a meniscus tear, but I came back and played the San Antonio Spurs within two weeks. I wasn’t the same and couldn’t move. It’s hard to gauge whether the Rockets got the better of the trade because, while Durant is great, he’s a little older now. Meanwhile, the Suns got Jalen Green. Dillon Brooks is also showing he can play offense now and not just be a tough defender and enforcer. He is showing that he can score now. They both had tough situations in the playoffs. Houston had to face the Lakers, and Durant was hurt. The Suns went up against OKC, which is far from easy.
In the end, Thomas managed just 15.6 points in an injury-marred campaign and got waived by Brooklyn. He got picked up by Milwaukee, but cut loose there as well. While he flashed the ability to get buckets, his shortcomings in terms of defense, playmaking, and — ultimately — self-awareness see him now unemployed. “I know he was frustrated about the contract the year before, and the fact that Brooklyn didn’t really pay him how he wanted,” Porter said. “He’s thinking talent-wise, he’s thinking as good as Austin Reaves, he’s as good as Jalen Green, he’s as good as this guy or that guy, and they’re getting paid $100 million contracts. So I understand that part. But I knew when he left Brooklyn, I’m like, man, over there in Milwaukee he better change a couple of these things or else it’s going to be tough for him. “And when he first got there, they were raving about him because he had a few good games. Doc Rivers was complimenting him and everything. And then I’m sure he had a bad game and kind of went back into his shell a little bit. It can come off like he has an attitude, but really that’s just him. And then I think from there it was downhill. But when it comes to being a basketball player and a talent, he’s up there with the best of them.”
Dillon Brooks will be extension eligible on the day after the NBA Finals after a career year, but there are variables Phoenix must weigh before committing to a new deal. On one hand, Brooks was an undeniable culture-changer in his maiden season as Sun, contributing mightily to the turnaround Phoenix staged after shipping out Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal and also hiring first-year coach Jordan Ott. Yet there is likewise an understanding in the desert that Brooks' 20.2 points per game featured some spotty efficiency and was fueled at least somewhat by lengthy stretches of injury unavailability for fellow Phoenix newcomer Jalen Green.
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How you view their season depends on which expectations you adopt. Back in October, the basketball media-verse did not expect much from the Suns, a team that had overhauled its roster, trading star power for grit. “We were counted out,” said Dillon Brooks, who came to Phoenix along with teammate Jalen Green in last summer’s blockbuster Kevin Durant trade. “We were supposed to be a laughing-stock, losing team. And we proved a lot of people wrong.”
There will be no shortage of fans and media who connect the dots and say Alperen Sengun could follow in Jalen Green’s steps as a young piece that gets sent away because he wasn’t ready to compete for a championship now. Giannis Antetokounmpo will be a name many connect to Houston as a potential superstar who could be acquired in a Şengün trade. Kawhi Leonard or Donovan Mitchell could also be possibilities. If Houston makes Şengün available, along with some of the future draft picks they hold, it would put them squarely among the favorites to acquire any of the disgruntled superstars who may become available.
Duane Rankin: "Super fun. Super fun." Jalen Green 36 points (8-of-14 3s) in Suns win over Warriors to advance to NBA playoffs as 8th seed. On bringing energy from losing to Warriors last season in playoffs while with Rockets: "For sure. I remember what they did last year. It's not going to leave. My 1st playoff series. Lesson in every situation. It's never failure. You always get back up. I for sure brought some of that energy from last year to tonight's game."
Duane Rankin: "Just poetic that we played Golden State to get in. Good stepping stone for our organization." Dillon Brooks after Suns win over Warriors, who eliminated him and Jalen Green when they were with the Rockets last season. On Green's 36-point night: "He struggled against Golden State in the series last year. He had a lot to prove." On talk with Steve Kerr: "He had great words to say to me. Amazing. And I'm glad it was face to face. When somebody that usually says controversial or criticizing things, to come to you after and tell you how great of a job you're doing. He's seen me in Memphis, Houston and now Phoenix. Probably seen me my whole career, to tell me that you're doing great things, you're changing cultures and you're a great player, it means a lot." #Suns #DubNation
Duane Rankin: Suns 111-96 Final. Jalen Green 36 points (8 made 3s ties career high) Up next? Oklahoma City. Game 1 Sunday at OKC. #Suns #DubNation #ThunderUp
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Kelly Iko: 36 points on 14-for-20 shooting (8-for-14 from 3) for Jalen Green in just his 33rd game of the year — and the biggest one of PHX’s season. What a job by Jordan Ott.
Duane Rankin: "He had it going the whole night. I can take that shot, too to force overtime, but I saw Jrue (Holiday) sleeping a little bit and Jalen shifted to the open space." Devin Booker on finding Jalen Green for 3-point look Green missed for the win as Suns lost 114-110 in 7-8 play-in game. #Suns #RipCity.
Oh No He Didn't: Jalen Green: "Calling that same foul. They gotta call that both ways if they're going to call it for one person all night" 👀
Justin Martinez: Jordan Ott says Jalen Green, Collin Gillespie, Mark Williams and Jordan Goodwin have all been downgraded to out tonight vs. OKC. Haywood Highsmith has been upgraded to available.
