After resigning as coach from the Rockets, the Rockets' veteran Gerald Green finally became a member of the Vipers of the Development League. On January 9, Beijing time, the Leo Grande Valley Vipers officially announced that 36-year-old shooter Gerald Green has officially joined the Vipers and will play for the Vipers in the next game. We know that Green has not played an official game in the NBA for about two years, and after he became the Rockets player development coach last November, he focused on developing young players for the Rockets, but in the end he still couldn't resist the temptation to play and finally chose to return to the game.
The Vipers also produced a poster welcoming Green, and wrote on the poster: "Welcome Gerald Green to the Vipers team!" And put some pictures of Green playing with the Rockets on the poster. Although the 36-year-old Gerald Green temporarily joined the Vipers, everyone knows that Gerald Green's ultimate goal is certainly not to play in the development league, but to find an opportunity to return to the NBA, prove himself again, and even win his first NBA championship at the end of his career like PJ Tucker, and sign another big contract.
While Green's form is far inferior to PJ Tucker's, some NBA teams desperately need players like Green — experienced, able to run and jump and shoot three-pointers, and very popular with young players in the dressing room, which is Green's advantage. But unfortunately, it is reported that Gerald Green could not join the Rockets this season, why? Let's take a look.
According to NBA reporter David Wiener, because of the salary cap circumvention rules and as a player development coach, Green has appeared on the Rockets' payroll, even if he resigns as an assistant coach, Gerald Green can not return to the Rockets this season, but he can join 29 other NBA teams outside the Rockets. This is not ideal for Green, but it is also acceptable to play for another team, after all, Green's goal is to return to the NBA, although he did not qualify for the Rockets, but to another team to prove himself, it is still a good choice.
Taking a step back, nearly half of the regular season season has passed, and if Green can return to the NBA this season, or play a good performance in the development league Vipers, Green can still join the Rockets next season, and Green will only be 36 years old at that time. Looking at the older and more demon superstars such as James and Paul, Green should have the confidence to return to the Rockets.