The Houston Rockets never had a real shot at acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo, and now we know why. General manager Rafael Stone revealed that the Milwaukee Bucks immediately made it clear Giannis was not on the table,

The Bucks have been making roster changes to try to keep Antetokounmpo happy. Damian Lillard was waived, and his contract was stretched to help create cap space for the team. The Bucks signed two-time NBA blocks leader Myles Turner to a four-year contract this offseason.

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.