Giannis Trade Package: Prioritizing a Picks or Players Package

We keep asking the big question — should the Rockets go after Giannis? — but I think we’re skipping the question that actually matters first:

If we pursue Giannis, what kind of package are we even willing to offer?

That’s where the real debate starts and could help answer the should the Rockets go after Giannis? question.

Let’s start with what I think is pretty likely:
Sengun and Jalen Green are in either version of the deal.

Milwaukee’s not controlling its own picks, so they’ll want young players who can help now and have upside and make the salary work. Sengun and Green check both boxes. So for the sake of argument, let’s assume they’re in either option of packages

What comes next is where the Rockets’ front office needs to make a real decision — players or picks?

Both of the both deals below are likely overpays, but they are mainly there as examples to argue the options

Option 1: Player-Heavy Package
This route involves keeping your picks and giving up more of the core. Something like what Bill Simmons said on his Pod on Sunday of:

Alperen Sengun
Jalen Green
Jabari Smith Jr.
Tari Eason

You keep all your picks, but you sacrifice a ton of future upside. Your post-trade roster ends up looking like:

• FVV / Reed
  
  
• Amen / Whitmore
  
  
• Brooks / ???
  
  
• ???
  
  
• Giannis / Adams

You’re top-heavy. You’ve got no bench. And now you’re using future draft capital just to build a contender around Giannis, no different than what Milwaukee is doing now except with some better picks.

Even worse, you’ve artificially shrunk your contention window to maybe 3–4 years.
The moment you give up multiple core players and Giannis hits 31–32, the decline risk kicks in fast. You’ve put unnecessary pressure on the front office to nail every minimum signing, veteran trade, and draft pick just to stay afloat. There’s no margin for error.

That’s not a sustainable path, it’s an urgent scramble.

Option 2: Pick-Heavy Package
Instead of gutting the roster, you send out capital, even if is something crazy

Alperen Sengun
Jalen Green
2025 #9 pick
2027 PHX 1st
2029 PHX 1st
2029 DAL 1st

That’s a massive haul in picks that the Bucks can use to add to Sengun going forward

Meanwhile, the Rockets have the following rotation:

• FVV / Reed
  
  
• Amen / Whitmore
  
  
• Brooks / Tari
  
  
• Jabari / Tari
  
  
• Giannis / Adams

That team is ready to contend from Day 1, with flexibility to evolve.

Even better, you extend your competitive window well past the 3-4 window Giannis gives you, he could merely be the first iteration of a Houston contender in this form

You still have your own picks, you have cost-controlled talent, and you’re not boxed into a win-now-only timeline. If things click, you ride it out. If they don’t, you pivot. There’s no panic, no major cap crunch, no desperation. It’s a sustainable build around a generational player, not a short-term gamble.


My Take:
If the Rockets are going to be aggressive, I’m all for it — but we need to be smart.
I am completely supportive of a pick-heavy deal gives us Giannis, but I would not pursue Giannis if it's a player-heavy deal gives us Giannis and no clear path to build around him.

 

You dont think the above picks heavy package would immediately make us a contender?

 

I'm just using those as extreme examples.

Unless OKC gets involved, those deals are probably overpays from reality due to no other team being able to compete with them

 

I hate Option 1, I almost vomited when Simmons said that on Sunday

 

You're betting on Amen and Jabari offensive development. Keep in mind we can still turn Brooks into a more offensive 2 as well

 

Agreed with this, no one beats an OKC Giannis package

Question is will both of Giannis and OKC be interested in each other? I have my doubts