While Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t expected to request a trade before the NBA Draft or the start of free agency, the Milwaukee Bucks may still need to initiate difficult conversations about what a future without their franchise cornerstone could look like. The Warriors, Rockets, Knicks, and Spurs have all been rumored destinations for the Greek Freak in recent days. But if you think the Rockets’ acquiring Kevin Durant puts a dent in their plan, then you are wrong. The Houston side is still very much an active place and can easily make the deal.

So, how can they bring the deal for 2x MVP to fruition? Well, American sports television personality Nick Wright knows how it could happen. On ‘What’s Wright? with Nick Wright’, he stated: “I think oddly they still, if he were to become available mid-season, might have the ability to still trade for Giannis.

“You could have a trade if you are the Rockets, where you are sending out Fred VanVleet, Reed Sheppard and Brooklyn’s first in 2027, Phoenix’s first in 2027, Dallas’s first in 2029, Phoenix’s first in 2029, and Houston’s first, their own first in 2030. Those are valuable prime first round picks.”

The Bucks lack control of their first-round draft picks for the next five years due to past trades. So this deal will sort that issue out. But it’s not a guarantee yet that the Rockets will move ahead with this idea. But a duo of KD and Antetokounmpo is still a possibility. “I don’t think they’re going to do that. But the point is, it’s not like by going for Durant, they punted on any chance at Giannis. And I think that’s very useful,” Wright added. Pairing him with KD, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Ime Udoka could finally unlock a true title push in the West.

Here’s the thing, though: The 30-year-old has not requested the trade yet. In fact, he has focused on off-season training. And so, fans will have to wait further. However, if the Rockets indeed decide to add more talent to their roster, Antetokounmpo and Jaylen Brown are names to look out for.

And perhaps Brown could be a more realistic target for the team: Houston Rockets get Jaylen Brown and Boston Celtics get Reed Sheppard, Fred VanVleet, and three first-round picks (2028, 2030, and 2032). But if the Rockets go for Antetokounmpo, that would be big news.

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future in Houston gets another validation

Earlier this week, Bill Simmons opined: “And I don’t know whether that trade happens in the summer or whether it happens in the December, January, February range. But like, for instance, as we covered many times, Giannis is not getting traded this summer. But if it’s January and they’re 15, the Bucks are 15 and 25. And he’s like, you know what? This sucks. They still have their chance. If the Celtics change their mind, they’re like, God damn, we didn’t realize we’d be this bad.

“And we’re going to pay how much money in luxury tax? Like, yeah, maybe we will trade Jaylen around. They have the flexibility still on some of the assets to make a second move, which I thought was going to be their move.”

For now, as per the 55-year-old analyst, the timeline for trade is not imminent. But with other teams making moves like the Rockets getting KD and the Celtics trading away Porzingis and Holiday, the Bucks might have to act fast. Any team can put together a package to tempt the Bucks, but they have to be sure about the future without Giannis Antetokounmpo. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.