There really isn't much of anything to feel good about right now if you're a Milwaukee Bucks fan, but there is a possible situation developing in Houston that might boost your spirits. That is, unless you still haven't accepted that a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade could happen this summer.
Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe discussed the Rockets' outlook on The Bill Simmons Podcast, with the latter saying why the Rockets could be tempted to change their Antetokounmpo stance:
"It does feel like it's been rickety. In their last I want to say 40 games, they have the No. 22 offense in the NBA. It's just not working at the level that it needs to work for them to actually compete."
Lowe was right. Since the start of the calendar year, Houston's offense ranks No. 22 in the league (112.7). Its defense during that span ranks No. 9 (112.2), but the Rockets can't rely on it alone to propel them into championship territory. Contenders don't have a bottom-ranked offense.
Yes, they're dealing with unfortunate injuries, losing Fred VanVleet to a torn ACL a few weeks before the season again, and losing Steven Adams at the end of January to season-ending ankle surgery. As much as their absences factor into their underwhelming offense, you don't know what another early playoff exit could sway the front office to do. Look what happened last summer with Kevin Durant.
Bucks need to pull for Rockets to get involved in Giannis trade
Houston currently sits No. 6 in the West, 2.5 games back from the No. 3 Lakers, and a half-game back from the No. 4 Nuggets. With 11 games left in the regular season, they should be able to stay in playoff range, as they have a 3.5-game lead over the No. 7 Suns. Then again, the Rockets did lose to the Bulls on Monday, even though Durant had 40 and Alperen Şengün had a triple-double.
There is a reason teams in the West would be happy about a first-round matchup with Houston: of the six teams on track to secure playoff berths, the Rockets are by far the easiest target.
Perhaps Houston's front office will be content to run it back next season with what it hopes will be a healthy roster, but if Antetokounmpo declines to sign an extension with Milwaukee, the Rockets' temptations may get the best of them. They're one of the few teams that have the right combination of assets and young players the Bucks want.
Now, it's worth wondering what exactly Milwaukee could get for Giannis, as he will essentially be entering the final season of his contract (he has a player option for 2027-28 he could decline next summer) and is coming off an injury-riddled season.
There shouldn't be a team willing to meet the astronomical price the Bucks set on the superstar before the deadline, as it'd be too risky. If the Rockets decide to join the party, though, Milwaukee can work to leverage that into a win.