The Houston Rockets were never in the mix for Giannis Antetokounmpo, and now we know why. According to general manager Rafael Stone, the Milwaukee Bucks made it clear from the very beginning that Giannis was not available in trade talks, despite rumors that Houston had emerged as a dark horse destination earlier in the offseason.
“No,” Stone said when asked about the speculation. “I deal well with Jon Horst [Bucks GM], I really like him. Jon was very clear that they weren’t doing anything. So, that was that.”
Before the Rockets made the deal for Kevin Durant, there were rumors that they pursued a deal for Giannis, and it would have been an amazing development for the franchise. According to Stone, however, the Bucks never considered putting Giannis on the table, and they shut down talks right away. Still, many people can’t shake the feeling that the Bucks and Giannis are doomed to break apart.
For years now, Giannis Antetokounmpo has been at the center of the rumor mill with various teams trying to negotiate for his services. While he’s maintained his loyalty to the Bucks, it hasn’t stopped GMs across the league from monitoring his situation, and they are growing increasingly convinced that he could be swayed to leave.
The 2x MVP led the Bucks to a championship in 2021 and has steadily been among the league’s top three players. Ever since that championship run, however, the Bucks have been in disarray, failing to return to the state of contention that earned Giannis’ loyalty.
This recent stretch with Damian Lillard has been one of their worst in the Giannis era, and not even his MVP-level performance (30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game last season) could save them from failure.
Now, with key players like Lillard, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez gone, the Bucks are venturing into the unknown with hopes that their latest batch of moves is enough to convince Giannis to stay. They scrambled to trade for Myles Turner and were also able to add Taurean Prince and Kevin Porter Jr. to increase their depth and versatility.
The result is a Bucks roster that may be able to compete for a higher seed in the weakened Eastern Conference. With teams like the Celtics and Pacers expected to regress due to injuries, the door is open for the Bucks to get their act together and position themselves as a major playoff threat.
Still, while the Bucks have not yet considered moving Giannis, they won’t actually know the extent of his future plans until he returns from EuroBasket this summer. With another three years and $174 million on his deal, Giannis is under contract for a while, but he can always force his way out whenever he desires a new situation.
The good news for the Bucks is that the moment has not yet come, and if they play their cards right, they may be able to avoid it entirely. Of course, if Giannis does decide to leave, they can rest somewhat easy knowing they could get a massive haul in exchange for his services. Either way, the Bucks have all the leverage in this situation, and they’ve already been fending off their competitors from trying to steal their franchise player.
