He missed the entire 2011-12 season with heart trouble. Most people believed he would never play basketball again after open-heart surgery. He was told that if he didn’t have the surgery, one of two things could happen: a) nothing at all and he’d keep playing, or b) he’d suddenly collapse and die right on the court.

He then placed his life’s hopes in the hands of one of the best surgeons, Dr. Lars Svensson, and eventually returned for 14 more seasons, winning a ring with the Denver Nuggets in 2023. But now, unlike the constant rumors about LeBron James’ free agency, unrestricted free agent Jeff Green has attracted little interest around the league.

With no team showing serious interest, Green may be headed toward retirement after 18 NBA seasons, even though he previously said he hopes to reach the 20-year mark before calling it a day.

As a veteran on a young roster, Green watched the Houston team go from rebuilding to competing among the top in the Western Conference. Currently, the Rockets have signed 13 players, but their power forward rotation is already full… Kevin Durant, Tari Eason, and Jabari Smith Jr. are expected to share those minutes.

That leaves little room for Green unless Houston wants another veteran at the end of the bench. He signed a one-year, $3,634,153 veteran minimum deal with the Rockets, which ran through the 2025-26 season. But so far, no reunion has gained any momentum this offseason. This comes amid fellow NBA veterans like Mike Conley, Andre Drummond, and Kevon Looney securing minimum or lower-paying contracts at the Celtics, Knicks, and Lakers, respectively.

The former champion still provides significant value off the court. Jeff remains a reliable voice for Houston’s young players. He sets a standard for professionalism and offers steady guidance.

However, the on-court impact has diminished. Green played in only 30 regular-season games and posted career lows of 5.8 minutes, 2.2 points, and 0.8 rebounds. Meanwhile, the Rockets need more scoring, shooting, and playmaking from their bench. As they aim for the next level, every roster spot becomes important. Keeping a veteran solely for leadership may no longer be the best strategy for any team due to salary cap pressure. In that regard, Houston is already $48 million over the cap, making it difficult to create more room despite only 12 players listed.

This keeps Green in the same category as LeBron James, Jonathan Kuminga, and Draymond Green. At present, everyone is paying attention to James’ silence. Teams are waiting for the King to make a decision so they can wrap up their offseason plans. That has significantly slowed activity in the forward market, but unlike many other free agents, Green has hardly appeared in rumors.

In fact, years ago, James was one of the few people who admired Green both as a player and as an individual who never gave up despite undergoing a five-hour open-heart surgery.

“To see the game be taken away from someone so young at that point in time, I was like, ‘Wow,'” James said before the 2018 NBA Finals. “It gives you an opportunity to kind of think [about] the situation that you’re in. So it was always great to compete against Jeff, not actually knowing exactly what he went through, because none of us can actually know unless we’ve been through that, but you can be inspired by it.”

Durant, who was initially Green’s teammate at the Seattle SuperSonics, has mentioned multiple times that they share a relationship “deeper than basketball.” The two Maryland natives reunited on the court with the Brooklyn Nets in 2021, then with the Rockets this past season.

But now there’s a larger question actually looming over Green’s head.

Is Jeff Green’s time actually up in the game he “almost died over”?

Most free agents have found themselves in reports. Jeff Green has largely remained the exception. While he hasn’t announced any plans to retire, the Rockets haven’t shown any interest in re-signing the veteran forward. His former team, the OKC Thunder, does not appear to be considering a reunion either.

Green spent the first three-and-a-half seasons of his NBA career with the Thunder organization after being selected fifth overall in the 2007 draft by the SuperSonics and joining Oklahoma City following the franchise’s relocation. OKC has recently reshaped its roster by sending Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks. The move helped the Thunder stay below the second apron while adding three second-round picks. They still have championship ambitions. But with new max deals for Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, the roster no longer has the same depth it once did.

For now, retirement appears to be the most realistic outcome for Green if a contract offer never arrives. However, he may pursue opportunities overseas. The 39-year-old has previously made it clear he wants to keep playing, saying on The Zach Lowe Show, “I want to play as long as I can. The goal is to get to 20 years.”

But that doesn’t come at the expense of health.

“To me, basketball is secondary,” Green said in 2018. “I had to really fight for my life. I almost died over this game.”

Green has also previously acknowledged how “fragile” life is, speaking at length about the body, which will always tell you how it’s feeling, on a good day and especially on a bad one. He has credited his wife with helping him mentally cope with his self-expectations by simply prioritizing communication.

Even though there are no takers right now, the tables may turn, and some franchise could still decide to add the veteran for his experience before training camp. It’s just a matter of patience and belief, something that an individual with a nine-inch battle scar in his chest certainly won’t lack.