Grade the Mock Trade: Rockets land Giannis Antetokounmpo at an ill-considered cost

The Houston Rockets have been linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo more than once. They cannot sacrifice Alperen Sengun to land him.

Some will feel wildly different. They'll strongly disagree. Yes, Sengun is talented. Antetokounmpo is a top-3 player.

What are we doing here?

Count ESPN in that camp. Here's a deal they just proposed that has the Rockets landing Antetokounmpo:

That's an entirely fair deal. It's also one that the Rockets should not make under any circumstances.

Rockets can't afford to part with Sengun

From a strict market standpoint, this is fine. The Rockets are not getting washed. It's simply not the right deal for them.

There's a reason that Rafael Stone has accumulated so many first-round picks. The Rockets don't want to have to flip a star for a star. They want to add stars together.

That's the luxury of having a surplus of picks. Every team's goal is to build a championship team - whether now or later. The best way to do that is to have as many talented players (who fit together - more on that later) as possible.

Sure, Antetokounmpo is better than Sengun. He likely always will be. This deal would make sense if the Rockets didn't have the assets to make a different deal. They do.

Ideally, they'd flip veteran contracts with as many first-round picks as possible. The Bucks would likely need a centerpiece, and as painful as it is to say, it ought to be Amen Thompson. He's the poorer fit with Antetokounmpo, and he just doesn't project to reach the levels of stardom that Sengun can (or perhaps already has). That raises a question:

Should the Rockets acquire Antetokounmpo at all?

Rockets have a lot to think about with Antetokounmpo

It's a question that's been hard to shake for at least a year now.

Parting with Thompson stings. Even if he's never going to be a superstar, he's a star role player.

Moreover, Sengun, Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant are not the cleanest fit. They all prefer to operate from inside the three-point line. Sengun and Antetokounmpo are rim pressure monsters, and Durant is a midrange maestro. Sengun's improved shooting makes this more palpable, but it's still not optimal.

So, I'm (forever) on the fence. Still, one thing is clear. Flipping Sengun for Antetokounmpo is a pointless sacrifice. The Rockets should either be stacking star players or avoiding trades altogether.

With so many future first-round picks, it's a luxury they have.

Grade: C+