Latest Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors confirm what Rockets fans don't want to hear

The Houston Rockets will be linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo until they aren't. Unless another team acquires him, there will be speculation about a blockbuster deal.

There's some poetic value in the pairing. The best player in Rockets history was a two-way force from Nigeria. It could even be said that Antetokounmpo is a modern-day Hakeem Olajuwon.

That said, the Rockets already roster a player who garners comparisons to The Dream. Alperen Sengun isn't an Olajuwon-level defender, but he has vastly improved in that area. On the offensive end, few players display footwork that's as reminiscent of the Rockets' great.

Sengun is such a gifted scorer that some Rockets fans wouldn't trade him for Antetokounmpo. They may be going to have their hearts broken.

Rockets rumored to be interested in Sengun for Antetokounmpo deal

At least, that's where HoopsHype's Michael Scotto's head is.

"Theoretically, if Houston can pry Antetokounmpo in a trade from Milwaukee and Alperen Sengun is included, for example, could Antetokounmpo’s fellow Bucks frontcourt teammate Brook Lopez make sense as a possible target for the Rockets in free agency?"

- Michael Scotto, HoopsHype

Let it be said that this is speculative. Scotto isn't indicating that he's heard anything so much as he's wondering out loud.

Who can blame him? If the Rockets do want Antetokounmpo, Sengun feels like an obvious trade candidate. The fit between the two interior scorers is questionable on the Rockets' end. On the Bucks' side, the team doesn't own their future picks for some time, so they'd likely want a young All-Star to retool around.

Should the Rockets send them that young All-Star?

Rockets poised for difficult decision

This is not an easy choice.

Antetokoumnpo is - well, he's Giannis Antetokounmpo. Any objective observer would put Nikola Jokic ahead of him in the NBA's pecking order. Most would favor Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. That's where the list ends.

It could be argued that if there's an opportunity to land him, you take it and run. The Rockets could flip Sengun, another young player or two and a handful of unprotected firsts, and they'd still have enough leftover to build around Antetokounmpo. If he and Amen Thompson can't co-exist, they could flip Thompson next summer.

Doesn't that sound like blowing up a young 52-win team to open a short title window? How often does that work for teams? The counterargument is that the Rockets should be looking for a star who complements Sengun. Put differently, could Sengun, Thompson, and Donovan Mitchell be a better group than Antetokounmpo, Thompson, and Jalen Green?

These are not questions with easy answers. Ultimately, we'll have to wait to see what happens when the playoffs conclude. This could be a monumental offseason for the Rockets:

Whether it breaks some fans' hearts or not.