Phoenix, AZ — Guard Jalen Green is close to rejoining the Phoenix Suns after missing nearly the entire season with a right hamstring strain, head coach Jordan Ott said Tuesday.
“He’s there in terms of returning,” Ott told reporters, noting that the team will “keep it moving in the right direction” while remaining cautious.
Green, 23, took part in a full 5-on-5 scrimmage during Tuesday’s morning shootaround, a key step in his recovery. Despite the progress, he has been ruled out of Thursday’s game against the Detroit Pistons, the first stop on the Suns’ six-game road trip.
Ott expects the third-year guard to appear at some point during the trip, which continues against the New York Knicks on Saturday and the Brooklyn Nets on Monday before concluding with matchups against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday and the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 23.
Long-Running Hamstring Issue
Green originally strained the hamstring early in training camp, sat out the first eight games of the 2025-26 season, and aggravated the injury in his second appearance. He has logged just two games and 30 total minutes, the last of which came in early November.
Phoenix issued an update on Dec. 22 saying Green would miss at least two to three more weeks. Tuesday’s scrimmage marked his first full practice activity since that announcement.
Key Addition Waiting in the Wings
Acquired from the Houston Rockets in last summer’s Kevin Durant blockbuster, Green is in the first season of a three-year, $105 million rookie-scale extension that pays him about $33.6 million this year and includes a $36 million player option for 2027-28.
The Suns, a surprise 24-16 after Tuesday’s loss in Miami, hope Green can immediately bolster their scoring once cleared. He averaged 21.0 points and 3.4 assists in his final season with Houston.
Source: Hoops Rumors
