A new report from NBC Sports' Kurt Helin indicates that the Houston Rockets' honeymoon phase with Alperen Sengun could be just about over. Helin wrote an article detailing why the Rockets could be a potential landing spot for Giannis Antetokounmpo. He writes: Houston would be open to trading Alperen Sengun, league sources told NBC Sports.
Now for some Rockets fans, this is going to be a bit upsetting. Sengun is a fantastically underrated player that has only improved during his four seasons in Houston. He's quickly become a fan favorite, and he just finished up a playoff series where he was the Rockets' most consistent player. Most fans would be begging for him to stay under nearly all circumstances.
However, the circumstance under which Antetokounmpo becomes available is an entirely different scenario. If the Milwaukee Bucks opt to seek trade partners for their franchise player, Houston would be foolish not to put Sengun on the table as well.
Think about it. It's not often a top three player in basketball becomes available to be acquired. The Houston Rockets can boast a solid roster right now, but their ceiling would increase significantly if they're able to add a talent the likes of Giannis. It doesn't matter what kind of long-term potential you think Sengun has, you trade him in an instant if you can get number 34 from Milwaukee.
The Rockets should make Sengun available for Antetokounmpo
Most everyone thought Giannis would remain a Buck for life. Perhaps he still will, but the fact that he's even exploring options outside of Milwaukee for the first time in his career is enough for Rockets fans to start thinking about the possibility.
Now if you're Houston, you're obviously not going to be able to get Giannis for cheap, or even for a moderate price. It's been made clear that the Bucks want to "gut" any potential trade partners in dealing Antetokounmpo. That means that if the Rockets do get lucky and win the Giannis sweepstakes, it's going to cost them a lot.
Milwaukee is likely going to want Sengun in addition to significant draft compensation. From there, they may try to ask for Amen Thompson too, although it's possible the Rockets see him as untouchable. But the point here being that Houston is going to have to prepare to lose potentially a lot of their identity if this situation does present itself.
The bottom line being this: Alperen Sengun, while a fantastic talent in his own right, is never going to reach the heights that Giannis Antetokounmpo has in his career. If you're the Rockets and you're able to make a deal happen, number 28 can't be a deal-breaker.