Why the Giannis Antetokounmpo-Rockets Trade Rumors Don't Make Sense

Back in the early weeks of the Rockets' offseason, there was a lot of legitimacy to the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors with Houston. An up-and-coming team clearly needed a veteran star to lead them and be able to take over in big moments.

Fast forward to December, and the Rockets' linkage to the rumors hasn't gone away just yet, even now that they have that piece.

Houston got its veteran star in the form of Kevin Durant for a price much smaller than what the team would have to give up for Antetokounmpo. So far, the move is paying off tremendously.

As of Dec. 5, the Rockets own the league's second-best offensive (121.9) and defensive ratings (110.3). Not only has Durant elevated the offense, but the defense has remained just as elite as last season.

At 14-5, Houston is in a perfect spot to contend, whereas Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks are struggling at 10-13 and the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference. At this point, reports of him and his agent contemplating his future with the organization have risen. The Rockets are back in the conversation of potential suitors.

ESPN proposed a trade that would send the Greek Freak to Houston in exchange for a package centered around Alperen Sengun. The Turkish center would end up in Milwaukee after rising to prominence with the team that drafted him.

Sengun has gotten off to a hot start this season, on track to make his second All-Star appearance. He's averaging 23.1 points, 9.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists on 50.5% shooting from the field and 38.5% from three.

Acquiring Antetokounmpo has a strong chance of improving the Rockets, but there are two major caveats. The first is that they'd be giving up their most valuable asset in Sengun, the catalyst of a young team's surge to prominence. There's no guarantee that an Antetokounmpo-Durant pairing would work, but a Sengun-Durant pairing is proving to be effective right now.

The second is that Houston's championship window would shorten significantly. Antetokounmpo is already 30 years old, while Sengun is 23. Even if the Rockets can't secure a ring with Durant, they'd have Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. and more young players as insurance.

If a trade were to happen, for any team, it would likely occur after Dec. 15, when more contracts across the league are tradeable. Right now, Houston has little to no motivation to acquire the two-time MVP, given how good things are right now. The Rockets can't get greedy and give in to star stacking.