The Milwaukee Bucks are off to a rough 1-3 start, and Giannis Antetokounmpo does not seem happy with his team's lack of identity . Before the season, Antetokounmpo brought up the dreaded "T" word to Sam Amick of The Athletic. "Yeah, if we don't win a championship, I might get traded," he said.
Antetokounmpo may have said it in jest, but several teams around the NBA are closely watching the Bucks' All-Star forward and two-time Most Valuable Player. They'll be ready to pounce if Milwaukee stumbles. (The early results aren't promising in that regard.
) It would probably require Antetokounmpo to force a trade, but that isn't unusual when a star isn't happy with his team's direction. That's how Damian Lillard ended up in Milwaukee last summer. Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving have recently forced their relocation as well.
That's also why the Houston Rockets were relatively quiet this offseason. The franchise is eager to make a big move to bolster its chances as a contender in the Western Conference. Antetokounmpo, who's turning 30 in December, is the kind of all-in move Houston is seeking.
The following is a theoretical breakdown of what an Antetokounmpo-to-the-Rockets trade might look like, with some help from the Detroit Pistons, the only team left with significant cap room this season. Bucks get: Rockets get: Pistons get: Note: The 2026 second-rounder from Houston will go to the Oklahoma City Thunder (instead of the Pistons) if the Rockets' first-round pick is in the .
