Before trading for Kevin Durant, there was talk early in the 2025 NBA offseason that Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo could be a potential trade target for the Houston Rockets.
But Antetokounmpo never asked for a trade, and it appears likely that the perennial All-Star and Most Valuable Player (MVP) candidate will enter the 2025-26 season with the only organization that he’s ever played for.
In an appearance Friday on ESPN Radio’s Houston affiliate (97.5 FM), Stone was asked whether there was anything to those early offseason reports. (To avoid naming names, the host technically asked about conversations involving “the big man from Greece in Milwaukee,” since NBA staffers aren’t supposed to directly comment on the potential transaction status of players under contract with other teams.)
Stone responded:
No. I deal well with Jon Horst (Bucks general manager), I really like him. Jon was very clear that they weren’t doing anything. So, that was that.
The Rockets then pivoted to Durant, and the rest is history.
Even if Antetokounmpo had hypothetically asked for a trade, it wasn’t a given that one would happen in 2025, since he’s currently under contract through at least the 2026-27 season. That’s why the apparent no from Horst was and is significant.
With that said: Should Antetokounmpo ask to leave Milwaukee in future years — i.e. closer to that contract expiration date — it could be worth noting that Stone and Horst seemingly have a positive relationship, and the Rockets and Bucks are in different conferences. That might make a deal more palatable to Milwaukee.
The Rockets traded for Durant at 36 years old, and Antetokounmpo is just 30. So, in theory, there is still plenty of time for a deal to come together.
But it doesn’t appear likely to be any time soon.
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets GM Rafael Stone: Bucks were ‘very clear’ that a big trade wasn’t happening
Reporting by Ben DuBose, Rockets Wire / Rockets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
