The Kevin Durant trade saga is finally over, with the Slim Reaper soon to begin his new chapter for the Houston Rockets.
While it was more or less confirmed that Kevin Durant would be traded this summer, most expected his price to be a tad bit higher.
After all, the Houston Rockets traded for KD by giving up just Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the 2025 No. 10 overall pick, and five second-round picks.
Since the Rockets still have a haul of assets, NBA Analysis Network proposes a hypothetical trade where they manage to acquire Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
- Houston Rockets receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Milwaukee Bucks receive: Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith Jr., 2027 first-round pick (via BKN), 2028 first-round pick, 2030 first-round pick
There’s no doubt that the Rockets’ starting five with Durant’s addition will be phenomenal, but adding Antetokounmpo will only make them better.
Despite the Bucks superstar hinting at his desire to stay in Milwaukee, he has been a mainstay in NBA trade rumors since the team’s first-round elimination in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Considering both Fred VanVleet and Jabari Smith Jr. have a team option for the upcoming season, the Rockets have absolute control over their destiny.
Giannis will make a whopping $54.1 million next season, but him forming a duo with KD could finally be the Rockets’ ticket to lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy.
After all, Durant and Antetokounmpo are excellent scorers. But the scariest part about this duo would be the Greek Freak’s defensive abilities.
Combining their talents with young stars like Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun, the second-seeded Rockets may finally get over the hump next season.
Proposed Houston Rockets depth chart:
| Starting Five | Bench |
| Reed Sheppard | Aaron Holiday |
| Kevin Durant | Nate Williams |
| Amen Thompson | Cam Whitmore |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Tari Eason |
| Alperen Sengun | Steven Adams |
Antetokounmpo completed his 12th season with the Bucks. During his tenure, Giannis has won a plethora of individual accolades.
On top of that, he ended the Bucks’ 50-year championship drought by leading the team to the 2021 NBA title.
However, since winning the 2021 championship, the Bucks have been on a constant decline. Antetokounmpo has been phenomenal, but the supporting cast alongside him is simply not good enough to win the title.
The Bucks already traded Khris Middleton this season and with Damian Lillard tearing his Achilles tendon in the postseason, it’s unlikely that the Bucks will contend for an NBA Championship next season.
So, what’s the best thing they can do? Get a haul of draft assets and a young star in Smith Jr. They can either eat up VanVleet’s contract for a year or flip him for more assets.
Either way, if the Bucks decide to trade Giannis, it would mark the end of arguably the best era ever for the franchise in the history of the league.
