Fact or fiction: Do the Rockets have the best assets to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo?
ESPN insider Bobby Marks, formerly an NBA front office executive with the Brooklyn Nets, is seemingly bullish on the ability of the Houston Rockets to trade for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason.
In a 'fact or fiction' segment published Wednesday, Marks was asked if Houston has the best set of assets to chase Antetokounmpo.
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Marks replied, via ESPN:
Fact. There are three things on the checklist of chasing a superstar. You have to have draft equity, which certainly Houston has, when you look at the No. 10 pick in the (2025) draft. Then you have all of your future assets, such as picks that are coming from Phoenix and Dallas. They check the box there.
Then you have young players on rookie contracts. Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, Cam Whitmore, there is a list of those players.
Then you have to have those sizable contracts. Remember, we work in a system where you basically have to get within 125% of the salary that's coming back, when it's that big. Dillon Brooks, Fred VanVleet. Them and San Antonio check those boxes, as far as having those appealing assets if you're going to go out and chase a superstar.
And in contrast to the Spurs, who finished 34-48 and No. 13 among 15 Western Conference teams last season, the Rockets went 52-30 and finished at No. 2 overall. That could perhaps be the final piece of the puzzle, should Antetokounmpo want to leave Milwaukee and pursue a better opportunity to compete for an NBA championship.
While the Bucks could still theoretically trade Antetokounmpo to a non-preferred destination, it rarely happens with NBA superstars — since it's usually not worth it to trade premium young assets for a player who doesn't want to be with the acquiring organization for the long-term.
The next domino, of course, is seeing whether the 30-year-old Antetokounmpo actually asks Milwaukee for a trade after spending his first 12 NBA seasons with the franchise. ESPN reported earlier this week that he's at least considering other possibilities.
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If he does, it seems likely that Houston will be among the leading suitors. Beyond Brooks and VanVleet, the Rockets also have Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun entering significantly larger contracts (which can be useful for trade purposes) in 2025-26. While Thompson is theoretically movable, as Marks noted, he's widely viewed as untouchable in trade talks.
A 6-foot-11 power forward, Antetokounmpo averaged 30.4 points (60.1% FG), 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game in the 2024-25 season. A two-time Most Valuable Player (MVP), the 'Greek Freak' is a nine-time NBA All-Star and a perennial MVP candidate.
More: Report: In 2025 offseason, Rockets open to pursuing Giannis Antetokounmpo trade with Bucks
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Fact or fiction: Do Rockets have the best assets to trade for Giannis?
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