The Houston Rockets aren’t rushing to trade Alperen Sengun to land Giannis Antetokounmpo as the “Greek Freak” mulls his future with the Milwaukee Bucks. Antetokounmpo suffered a calf strain on Wednesday night that could delay a trade until his return. Antetokounmpo could also force the team's hand and pressure them for a one-way ticket out of the Cream City.
Houston Rockets OnSI’s Jed Katz believes Sengun’s chemistry with Kevin Durant can keep him in the Space City in response to a mock trade from ESPN's Zach Kram, swapping the Turkish big man, Fred VanVleet, and a 2027 first-round pick (unprotected via PHX) for Giannis and his brother Thanasis.
“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,” Katz wrote.
“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.”
Rockets can get a deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo done if they want to
Space City Scoop’s Zach Buckley believes the Rockets are in an ideal spot to land Antetokounmpo in a trade if they wanted it, seeing three options Houston can individually offer: Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Reed Sheppard.
“If the Bucks want draft capital, the Rockets have some of the best to offer, like a 2027 swap with Brooklyn, an unprotected 2027 first from Phoenix and a 2029 first from Dallas, Phoenix, or both. If they're seeking building blocks, Houston could flesh out a package built around Sengun (which would greatly reduce the outgoing draft assets), Thompson, or Sheppard,” Buckley wrote.
Antetokounmpo has been rumored to want the New York Knicks, and the Los Angeles Lakers could offer Austin Reaves in any potential deal. Reaves might be the ace in the hole competing with the Rockets in a potential trade sweepstakes, with Karl-Anthony Towns being that for the Knicks if New York wanted to get aggressive and finally land a top-five player.
The Rockets may offer the highest ceiling for Antetokounmpo in the interim, playing next to Durant, and over the long haul, playing next to whichever young building blocks remain after the hypothetical deal.
The question for Rafael Stone and Co. Is whether he should stay the course with a team that’s not shown it can do much yet, though that was before adding Durant, or trade for a Finals MVP and risk the team’s long-term stability after gutting depth.
It’s unclear which direction Houston will take amidst a 14-5 start.