Bear with me. The multiple stages to this trade fantasy:

1) The Rockets trade for Giannis.

2) The Bucks decide to move on to full rebuild mode:

• Bucks prioritize draft picks,

• seek to offload Lillard’s contract,

• avoid tax, get below the apron threshold, possibly create cap space.

Here's how this gets accomplished:

2.a) Rockets make all of their 1RPs available, but manage to keep Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason and Cam Whitmore on the team.

2.b) Rockets send FVV to the Bucks, to match Lillard’s contract. There is a team option on FVV’s contract for next year, the deadline of which both parties recently agreed to push back a month or so (I believe it is June, perhaps after the draft, I’m not sure). Maybe I am wrong here, but I believe this means: if this trade gets done before said deadline, MIL can then decline the option and clear 45m from its books next season, save additional penalty tax and get below the apron/tax threshold. (Of course, afterwards they can also negotiate a new deal with FVV.)

2.c) Now Rockets must deal with the 110m problem that is Lillard’s contract. Due to his torn Achilles tendon, Lillard will miss all of next season, while it remains to be seen in what shape (and for how many games) Lillard will return the season after.

Enter the Spurs here, who offer to help out. (Of course controversial, as they help make a rival team in the same division significantly better. However, I see the Spurs on a different timeline). Given that the Spurs now hold the no.2 pick in the draft, they decide to take Harper and build out their backcourt of the future around Castle and Harper. So Spurs offer Houston a significant (imho) upgrade to their previous (FVV/Green/Brooks) backcourt: Fox (a Houston native in his early prime) AND Vassel (on a decent 4-year deal)!

What the Spurs ask for in return for Fox, Vassel and Lillard from HOU and MIL is: Amen Thompson and draft compensation.

In this scenario, the Bucks’ aim to both receive a haul of draft picks AND get Lillard’s contract off their books, as well as the Rockets’ need to immediately form the best team possible to maximize the championship window with Giannis, do not get accomplished more optimal than with the Spurs. This is the Spurs’s leverage. It is the reason why Rockets/Bucks give up Amen Thompson to the Spurs.

3) Most important for the Bucks’ rebuild is to regain control of their own draft picks in the following years. Currently, NOP hold swap rights for 2026 and 2027.

To get their own picks back, the Bucks use the other most valuable trade piece(s) from the Rockets: Jalen Green (and Dillon Brooks).

(There may be a possible trade directly with NOP, but I made things even more complicated here, because I just think Green would fit really well in ORL. And ORL has a center NOP could need: Wendell Carter on a team-friendly 4-year contract.)

Rockets/Bucks send Green and Brooks to ORL. ORL offloads KCP’contract to MIL, sends Carter plus picks to NOL. NOL returns the swap rights for 2026 and 2027 to MIL.

...

END

(Please don’t overthink protections or the exact number of 1RPs or lack of 2RPs. Isaac’s and Harris’s contracts are included for salary matching purposes.)