Alperen Sengun has cemented himself as the face of the Rockets franchise, especially since Jalen Green was traded for Kevin Durant. But we have seen the true nature of this business ever since Luka Doncic was traded; anything can happen.
Earlier this summer, the Turkish All-Star’s name surfaced in trade rumors that claimed the Rockets’ front office was open to considering including him in a trade package that would land Giannis Antetokounmpo in Houston.
The Rockets’ star appeared on ‘The Zach Lowe Show’ and addressed that while he was confident about his game and not worried at all, anything can happen.
“I mean, I wasn’t worried about it at all, I would say. And you know, it can happen. It might not happen. I’m having a great season. I think nothing can affect me right now. Especially, social media can’t affect me at all,” said Sengun about remaining focused.
“If something is going to happen, it will happen. But you know, I think they trust me, and you know, I give my heart to this team, playing every night,” Sengun added with a show of confidence in the Rockets’ front office.
“So if anything happens, it happens. You know, I can’t do anything about it. So I don’t have to worry about it. And you know what I’m saying? That’s what I think,” said Sengun while acknowledging the unpredictability of the business.
“I think they know I’m not worried about it. And so they don’t even have to talk about it,” concluded Sengun on whether the Rockets’ front office ever addressed it with him.
The Turkish All-Star is currently averaging 23.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists. All of that while shooting 50.0% from the field and 35.1% from beyond the arc, making him a versatile candidate for another All-Star selection and a potential All-NBA team selection this season.
It would have been a bit ironic if Sengun were to be included in a trade package for Giannis Antetokounmpo, considering the back-and-forth the duo had during the EuroBasket this summer. While they eventually shook hands like true gentlemen, showing the sportsman spirit, the context of that for a trade would have been hilarious to me.
There are mainly two reasons why I believe the Rockets front office would not trade Sengun for Antetokounmpo. Firstly, it is a risky win-now move without assessing Antetokounmpo’s fit with Durant. Moreover, Giannis Antetokounmpo has categorically denied asking for a trade in his recent press conference.
Secondly, they would be throwing away their future and focusing on the short term over the next few seasons. As far as I am judging the Rockets’ front office, Rafael Stone has been focused on building a strong young core to maintain sustainable growth over multiple seasons, which has yielded a lot of results for the team so far.
Without having traded for Durant last season, they were still a playoff team without a bona fide superstar. And as much as it pained them to move Jalen Green for Durant, it was something that was done to take the team to the next level.
It does not seem like the Rockets’ front office is the kind that would rush into a potential superteam with Durant and Antetokounmpo instead of trusting the process with younger talent. Therefore, I believe Sengun has nothing to worry about.
