Rockets taking swing on Giannis becomes more likely by the day

Everyone has a plan for the Houston Rockets.

They need a go-to scorer. It's time to consolidate assets, right? The Rockets should send out some young players with their best assets for a superstar.

Not so fast.

The Rockets should keep this young group together, shouldn't they? After a 52-win season, why would you blow it up? The Rockets ought to let this group grow together. The process will yield results in time.

Unless nobody develops into a go-to scorer, that is.

Nobody knows exactly what the Rockets should do - or will do. What's clear is that this team wants to preserve its tough, defensive-minded identity at all costs.

What if a star who helps them maintain that identity shakes loose this summer?

Rockets could add one of the league's toughest stars

During the NBA playoffs, it can be difficult to keep the horse ahead of the cart.

The Milwaukee Bucks have not been eliminated. Their season is still alive. That said, they're down 3-1 to a strong Pacers team. Unfortunately, Damian Lillard may have suffered a torn Achilles.

So...it's not looking good for the Bucks.

For argument's sake, let's assume their season is over. The Bucks will have been eliminated in the first round for the third consecutive season. That feels like a good reason to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Should the Rockets be interested?

Rockets should continue to monitor Antetokounmpo

It's difficult to flat-out say that the Rockets should pass on Antetokounmpo.

He's one of the best players in the NBA. Only Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are distinctly ahead of him in 2024-25. In the right situation, Antetokounmpo still has the juice to reclaim his briefly held Best In The World status. We are talking about a player who averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game this year.

Still, there is trepidation. We're also talking about a player who was surrounded by veterans on a team that managed 48 wins in the Eastern Conference. The Rockets won 52 in the West. There's no guarantee that they'll be better for adding Antetokounmpo next year.

It's also troubling that the Rockets couldn't keep an optimal group around Antetokounmpo. Shooting is his fatal flaw. That holds for both Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson, and Jalen Green isn't Lillard from deep either. Adding one of the worst shooting stars in the league to one of the worst shooting teams in the league won't come without pitfalls.

That's not to say the Rockets should avoid Antetokounmpo. Pairing him with Sengun and surrounding the duo with spacing could make the Rockets bona fide title contenders. Pairing him with Thompson could have the same effect - the Rockets might have the best defense in league history. All that can be said with certainty is that it's not clear what the Rockets' future holds:

Although, it's looking more likely to include Antetokounmpo by the day.