Rockets Theorized as Potential Landing Spot for All-NBA Forward

Although the Houston Rockets just pulled off the biggest trade of the offseason, they're still armed with assets, as they ultimately ended up parting with much less than what many expected. In last month's Kevin Durant deal with the Phoenix Suns, Rockets GM Rafael Stone managed to hold onto Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr., and the Suns' future first-round pick in 2027, along with the right to swap with the Suns' pick in 2029.

In fact, the Rockets didn't even have to part with Cam Whitmore, who was once viewed as a lottery-level talent in the deal (although they shipped him off to the Washington Wizards on Saturday).

Could another superstar move be on the horizon? Possibly so, according to SB Nation's Ricky O'Donnell. The NBA writer was applauding the franchise for the aforementioned Durant trade and threw in a nugget.

"The Rockets were the No. 2 seed in the West this past season even with a shaky halfcourt offense, and replacing Jalen Green with Durant is going to be a major boost. The Rockets still have plenty of assets if they want to swing a big trade. It wouldn’t totally shock me to see Giannis Antetokounmpo end up here eventually."

The Rockets' signing of Clint Capela led many to speculate the possibility of Antetokounmpo being a target, as the team already had Steven Adams and Alperen Sengun at the center position. Antetokounmpo has been fairly loyal to the Milwaukee Bucks franchise, or as close to the definition as possible. 

However, the failed Damian Lillard experiment has left him without a co-star. And some reporting has even suggested that Antetokounmpo was caught off-guard and unhappy with the Bucks' decision to release Lillard. 

There were rumblings that the two-time MVP was open to the idea of a trade elsewhere, but he seemingly shut that down on social media.

Financially speaking, the Rockets would have to include Sengun,  Reed Sheppard, and prized forward Amen Thompson to match Antetokounmpo's $54.1 million. As of now.

That's a steep price. And it doesn't even mention the draft picks that Houston would have to shell out.

But for now, we won't have to worry about that, as Antetokounmpo hasn't quite requested out of the Cream City yet.