Every day, the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors swirl, with numerous NBA insiders trying to create noise as to his next destination. The Houston Rockets are one of the top teams named, and if a trade happens, Milwaukee MUST demand Amen Thompson to be part of the deal.
We have seen the constant suggestion of Giannis demanding a trade every year. Here we are again, still waiting to see if he does. Damian Lillard's torn Achilles has ramped up those discussions, with the star guard likely to miss most of the 2025-26 season, putting the Milwaukee Bucks at a significant disadvantage.
The front office has shown they are willing to make moves to push the Milwaukee Bucks towards another championship. However, the latest move of acquiring Kyle Kuzma was a flat-out failure this postseason. You have to respect the willingness from Jon Horst and co. to make the bold calls, but even the most pessimistic of Bucks fans never thought it would be this bad.
Now, if a trade request does come, the Rockets will likely be among the team gunning for Giannis.
Houston went into this postseason as the two seed, and their young core had a brilliant season. They fell to the Golden State Warriors in a seven-game series. Their young core had a great season, but they are now looking to find that superstar to take them to the next level, which could be Giannis if he requests a trade.
Amen Thompson HAS to be key part of a Bucks-Rockets trade
If Giannis does request a trade, the only teams that Milwaukee would let take him must have young players and draft capital. Houston has all of that. Thompson's sophomore season was brilliant, averaging 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks on shooting splits of .557/.275/.684. He may be the most athletic player in the league, with tremendous speed, agility and vertical.
In the playoffs, he was a big reason why the Rockets went seven games with the Warriors. Thompson averaged 15.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 steals, and a block. All season long, the Bucks have lacked youth and athleticism, and to still have some relevancy in the present and future, Thompson has to be a big part of a possible deal between the two teams.
As a wing, he has shown elite defensive skills, guarding Steph Curry in the first round and making it as difficult as possible for one of the best scorers we have ever seen. Thompson had a 108.1 defensive rating this season, which is better than every single player on the Bucks. His offense needs a few tweaks, but after two seasons, he has shown that he can be a star, along with the other players the Milwaukee Bucks could get in a trade.
Thompson will be earning $9.6 million and then $12.2 million in the next two seasons as team options. For the money to match, Alperen Sengun is another name that keeps coming up, with him earning $35.5 million next season, and the 22-year-old is already an All-Star. Fred VanVleet is another player mentioned with his $44.8 million team option for the 2025-26 season.
There are other young players the Bucks would look to add, such as Jabari Smith Jr. and Cam Whitmore. Jalen Green could be somewhat interesting. However, his poor playoff showing suggests he would be someone to steer clear of for now. Houston also has seven first-round picks and seven second-round picks at their disposal. We know how little draft capital the Bucks have, so that would be a huge part of any Giannis Antetokounmpo deal, too.
There has been no news yet about Giannis, other than a cryptic Instagram post, which you can read in whatever way you like. For now, he is a Milwaukee Buck, but should the Houston Rockets make a trade for him, Amen Thompson HAS to be someone they get in return.