Ranking Rockets' 3 best Giannis trade assets from untouchable to please don't do it

If the Houston Rockets are going to make the most of a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, they need to determine the future of three current players: Alperen Sengun, Reed Sheppard, and Amen Thompson. All three represent key elements of Houston's promising future, as well as boundaries the franchise must be willing to set.

Not everyone can be made untouchable, but if the Rockets approach the Antetokounmpo trade with caution, they could avoid blowing up the entire core to land a superstar.

Antetokounmpo is a generational talent who has lived up to the hype. He's already won a championship, the 2021 Finals MVP award, two regular-season MVP honors, a Defensive Player of the Year trophy, and the 2024 NBA Cup.

Moreover, Antetokounmpo is a nine-time All-NBA honoree, including seven First Team nods, and has averaged upward of 30.0 points per game in three consecutive seasons.

For as compelling as a potential trade for Antetokounmpo may be, Houston can't afford to gut itself of all of its best resources to do it. It must know how to properly value its assets to not only acquire Antetokounmpo, but surround him with enough talent to maximize the rest of his prime.

That process starts with declaring one player untouchable, no matter how hard it may be to utilize that word when Antetokounmpo is the player a team is negotiating for.

Untouchable: Amen Thompson

There's no way around it: No matter how badly Milwaukee may want him included, Houston can't afford to lose Amen Thompson. Thompson not only represents the future of the franchise, but is already one of the best defensive players on the planet.

If the Rockets are hoping to contend with Antetokounmpo instead of having to scramble for complementary talent, then they can't trade Thompson under any circumstances.

It's hard to label anyone untouchable when the return is a two-time MVP and former NBA champion who's already one of the greatest players in Association history. Thompson is the rare exception, however, as a 22-year-old defensive ace who has made resounding progress on offense in just two seasons.

That came to a head in 2024-25 when he averaged 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks while improving upon his three-point shooting efficiency from 2023-24 by 13.7 percent.

For his efforts, Thompson was named to the All-Defensive First Team—just one year after he earned All-Rookie honors. A true lockdown defender who posted 14 20-point games in 2024-25 after doing so just four times as a rookie, Thompson is the type of rapidly-developing forward that teams dream of finding.

If Milwaukee truly won't trade Antetokounmpo to Houston without Thompson included in the trade, it's safe to say they were never serious about the Rockets' surplus of compelling assets to begin with.

Avoid If Possible: Alperen Sengun

If the Rockets have the choice between trading or keeping Alperen Sengun, it should be an easy decision. He's in no way a dealbreaker, but he was Houston's best player during a 52-win season—and, just like Thompson, is only 22 years of age.

Already one of the best centers in the NBA, Sengun is too talented to trade if the Bucks don't make it absolutely essential to getting this trade over the finish line.

Sengun finished the 2024-25 regular season averaging 19.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 3.4 offensive boards, 1.1 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game. He was the Rockets' team leader in rebounds and offensive boards per game. He also ranked No. 2 in points and assists, and No. 4 in blocks and steals.

For his efforts, Sengun was named an All-Star for the first time in his career—and was arguably snubbed from All-NBA recognition.

The structural fit of an Antetokounmpo and Sengun interior pairing is fair to question, but there's evidence to support a trial period. Sengun and Steven Adams shared the court for high-impact minutes during the 2025 NBA Playoffs, and Sengun's game is far less traditional than his 23.3 percent shooting from distance suggests.

Constantly involved in Houston's strategy, Sengun is the ultimate team player at center, never questioned for his effort or adaptability. As such, it's fair to believe that he can make the necessary adjustments to make starring alongside Antetokounmpo a feasible goal.

If the Bucks push for Sengun, however, then the Rockets should be willing to explore that route.

Please Don't Do It: Reed Sheppard

While not an All-Star like Sengun or an All-Defense honoree as Thompson already is, Reed Sheppard is a player Houston should do everything it can to keep. A remarkably promising young guard who has the attributes teams dream of molding to fit their system, Sheppard is too promising to give up on without a fight.

The Rockets would struggle to justify declining an Antetokounmpo trade simply due to Sheppard's potentially requested inclusion, but it should do everything it can to avoid the outcome nonetheless.

Sheppard, 20, finished the 2024-25 season averaging just 4.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.3 blocks, and 0.9 three-point field goals made in 12.6 minutes per game. Those figures translate to 12.6 points, 4.3 assists, 4.1 assists, 1.9 steals, 0.9 blocks, and 2.6 three-point field goals made per 36 minutes.

Sheppard shot at a clip of just .351/.338/.813, but the flashes of brilliance during his rookie season were brief confirmations of the upside that made him the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Sheppard, who boasts a remarkable 42.0" max vertical leap, is a developable talent who could help anchor the Rockets' future. In addition to his explosive athleticism, he shot 52.1 percent from beyond the arc during his lone collegiate season, is already a committed defender, and has the tools to be a seamless successor to Fred VanVleet.

Houston can't decline an Antetokounmpo trade simply to retain Sheppard, but developing their young two-way guard alongside a superstar would be a dream outcome if it can be achieved.