Rockets' gigantic edge in Giannis sweepstakes that isn't being talked about enough

The Houston Rockets need more dynamic ball-handling.

Fred VanVleet is a steady hand but is not a star primary option. Jalen Green is explosive, but he's...well, let's not beat a dead horse. Amen Thompson's poor perimeter shooting can be problematic in half-court sets. Alperen Sengun is an outstanding playmaker, but he's not precisely a ball-handler.

It's a shortcoming. That said, it could be an advantage if the Rockets really are interested in the biggest star in NBA trade rumors. Giannis Antetokounmpo likes to have the ball in his hands, and the Rockets can put it there.

The Athletic's Sam Amick says that could help them bring the superstar forward to town.

Rockets can offer Antetokounmpo his preferred role

“Right now (in Houston), the ball is in Fred VanVleet’s hands, to a lesser degree in Jalen Green’s hands, there is more of a job opening in Houston.”

-Sam Amick, The Athletic

Theoretically, the Bucks acquired Damian Lillard to lighten Antetokounmpo's ball-handling role. During his inaugural season with the Bucks, Antetokounmpo's usage rate dipped from 38.8% to 33.0%. It did spike back up to 35.2% last year. Those are All-Star level usage rates, but Lillard did change Antetokounmpo's role in Milwaukee.

The idea was for him to take more possessions as a pick-and-roll finisher. It didn't seem to suit Antetokounmpo. If he does want to get back to being a primary playmaker, the Rockets can offer him that role:

Under certain conditions.

Rockets would have to accommodate Antetokounmpo

Amick has more interesting thoughts on the possibility of Antetokounmpo-to-Houston.

He suspects that Alperen Sengun would be heading to Milwaukee. He's probably right. It will break the hearts of some Rockets fans, but the pair doesn't make sense together on the court. Moreover, the Bucks will want Houston's young All-Star if they're giving up a perennial MVP candidate.

In some respects, Antetokounmpo would functionally replace Sengun in half-court sets. The Rockets would look to set him up as an interior scorer, and he'd be expected to find open teammates when double-teamed.

More roster changes will be required. The Rockets will want to keep Thompson to pair with Antetokounmpo, but everyone else needs to be a floor spacer. Assuming Green isn't part of the outgoing package, he'll need to improve his three-point efficiency. Otherwise, the Rockets will need to look to trade a fringe star guard to pair with Antetokounmpo as soon as possible.

So, acquiring Antetokounmpo will require maneuvering. It will likely require sacrificing Sengun. Whether it's worth it depends on who you ask:

But you can't deny that the Rockets would be adding a dynamic ball-handler.