Following the Milwaukee Bucks’ third first-round exit in a row, Giannis Antetokounmpo grew as loud as they had ever been in the offseason. Rumors flurried and reports combatted each other, citing the superstar’s desire to stay in Wisconsin but also prioritizing the opportunity for another championship.
The Houston Rockets were among the teams listed as suitors for Antetokounmpo before trading for Kevin Durant. They had the young players and draft capital to acquire the Greek Freak, but instead opted to give up less for the 37-year-old scorer. So far, it’s certainly paying off.
Well, now Milwaukee is 10-13 and the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference. The trade rumors have sparked again, with reports of Antetokounmpo and his agent having conversations on his future with the team, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
However, Houston can’t seem to escape the Antetokounmpo trade rumors. ESPN’s Zach Kram proposed a mock trade that would pair him and Durant in Texas, but it would cost the Rockets one of their All-Stars.
Rockets receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thanasis AntetokounmpoBucks receive: Alperen Sengun, Fred VanVleet, 2027 first-round pick (unprotected via PHX)
VanVleet has been thrown into mock trades here and there amid Houston’s guard room getting thin. However, there could be more of an incentive to entertain packages involving the 31-year-old with players like Reed Sheppard, Josh Okogie and Aaron Holiday stepping up as a committee. VanVleet is expected to miss the entire 2025-26 season with a torn ACL.
The real question is whether or not the Rockets would give up their homegrown All-Star, Alperen Sengun, for Antetokounmpo. The Bucks’ franchise cornerstone is one of the five best players in the world and has experience taking a team to the promised land.
But Houston has a good thing going with Sengun; he meshes so well with Durant, and provides a Nikola Jokic-esque play style to one of the best offenses in the league right now.
An underrated part of the mock trade is the 2027 first-round pick, which comes from the Phoenix Suns. They’re playing well this season with a 13-9 record, but that pick is still expected to be extremely valuable if Phoenix decides to embrace a rebuild in the coming years.
The trade would certainly be a risky win-now move, but Houston would still retain most of the young nucleus it has built since the beginning of the decade. Keep in mind, Sheppard, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason would remain on the roster even if this went through.