Rockets trade idea would send $185 million All-Star, 21.0 PPG guard to Bucks in Giannis Antetokounmpo swap | Sporting News

The Houston Rockets are trailing 3-1 in their first-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, with the group being on the verge of an early exit after claiming the Western Conference's No.

2 seed with a 52-30 regular season record.

Houston's status as a fast-rising collection of young talent with little playoff experience has positioned the team as a potential suitor for top-end talent that could be made available for trade in the coming months, and a chance to build a legitimate juggernaut in the West might present itself this summer.

In fact, recent reports have indicated that Houston could be a real destination for one of the game's all-time greats, as the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo may figure that his time with the organization has come to a close after being bounced from the first round of the playoffs for a third consecutive season.

If the 30-year-old superstar were to request a trade, Houston will likely pounce on the opportunity to offer a tempting package to Milwaukee.

"Despite their recent postseason struggles, the Houston Rockets will enter the summer of 2025 in the enviable position of being an overachieving young team with a treasure trove of assets," The Ringer's Logan Murdock wrote Wednesday.

"Theyre in prime position to acquire a star." "But with all due respect to (Kevin Durant), Giannis would set Houston up to be a factor in the Western Conference for the next decade." Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp "Combine Gianniss all-world ability with the trajectories of Amen Thompson and the other young role players on the roster, and you can see a team that can compete with the Denver (Nuggets'), Minnesota (Timberwolves'), and (Oklahoma City Thunder's) of the world while maintaining the youth to carry it into the next era of the NBA." In a hypothetical offseason scenario, Murdock believes that the Rockets could potentially offer a package to the Bucks consisting of first-time All-Star center Alperen Sengun, scoring guard Jalen Green and three future first-round draft picks to acquire the sensational power forward.

Though a trade of this caliber may be a head-scratcher for the Rockets considering their large stash of prospects including Jabari Smith Jr.

and Reed Sheppard, Houston's general manager could figure that maintaining the team's youth and surrounding Antetokounmpo with complimentary talents like Thompson and Fred VanVleet would be enough to see the franchise compete for a title in the present.

By hanging onto their project players and former top-3 draft selections in Smith Jr.

and Sheppard, Houston would be set for both the present and distant future.

Milwaukee may also prefer a package of this kind instead of one loaded with draft capital and young assets, as the franchise might look to remain competitive in a top-heavy Eastern Conference.

More NBA: Bucks predicted to bring back former champion in trade with Wizards.

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