It's been clear for a while now, but there's more information that confirms it: the Houston Rockets are gearing up to make a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Rockets are wasting no time, and they may be the team best equipped to strike.
According to NBC Sports, league sources said that Houston would be open to trading All-Star big man Alperen Sengun in a potential blockbuster for Giannis Antetokounmpo. That’s a franchise cornerstone being put on the table, and it speaks volumes about how far the Rockets are willing to go to land a superstar. It’s not just smoke. There’s serious fire here.
Houston’s case remains compelling even after they struck out on what would have been the perfect trade chip, a high draft pick, to get Giannis in H-Town.
The Rockets finished as the No. 2 seed in the West this season, playing top-tier defense under Ime Udoka and showcasing one of the league’s most physical, switchable rosters. But the playoffs revealed the one thing they were missing: a true No. 1 option. A dominant offensive anchor who can tilt matchups, close games, and raise the team’s ceiling when the game slows down in May and June.
That’s where Giannis comes in.
Giannis would turn Houston into a championship contender
Pairing Antetokounmpo with Houston’s defensive core could create a juggernaut. The Rockets would be a nightmare in transition, a half-court force with Giannis’ paint gravity, and a two-way monster that could hang with anyone in the West. It’s the kind of deal that could instantly vault them into the inner circle of title contenders.
But Sengun is just the starting point. Per NBC Sports, the Bucks may actually be more tantalized by a Jalen Green-centered offer depending on how Jon Horst's front office views his development curve.
In such a trade scenario, Jabari Smith Jr. would almost certainly be included. The Rockets also have unmatched draft capital: their own picks, plus assets from Brooklyn and Phoenix, giving them multiple pathways to sweeten the pot.
No matter who Milwaukee ends up choosing in this scenario, a Giannis-to-Houston trade turns the latter into an immediate contender, while instantaneously jumpstarting Milwaukee's post-Giannis era with a handful of players who can keep them competitive while giving them a semblance of hope for this new chapter.
The deal likely requires a third team to make the salary math work, especially with Giannis owed over $50 million next season. But Houston has the optionality, the cap mechanics, and the motivation. They can build the kind of offer that Jon Horst and the Milwaukee Bucks front office simply can’t ignore — especially if Antetokounmpo makes it clear he’s ready to move on.
Giannis hasn’t demanded a trade yet, and signs are pointing to him doing nothing of the sort this offseason. But the upcoming meeting with Milwaukee Bucks brass looms large. And if the door opens, Houston will be right there ready to blow it off its hinges.