The Bucks are off to a slow start this season and NBA executives are quietly hoping the 2022 players crash and burn, because it could mean Giannis Antetokounmpo is caught.
“Teams are moving around — and they’re hopeful,” a Western Conference team official told CBS Sports.
The CEO of a potential Greek Freak team said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened at the trade deadline.”
Eastern Conference officials have been listening to rumors and say that Giannis’ preferred destinations will be the Nets and the Heat.
The Thunder are a possible team as well, given the amount of money the franchise will be able to provide the Bucks.
“I’ve never heard of them, but yeah, if you’re in Milwaukee you can just go, ‘I don’t care—what you want.’ If you want out, we get the best money we can.’ And Oklahoma City can provide the best,” said the Eastern Conference official.
Another play that could cause Giannis to leave stage left is how much traction Doc Rivers is gaining on the franchise, so much so that “he’s won over the owner enough that he’s now an important voice in basketball decisions,” CBS said.
“They told me that it’s up to Doc now, that they will wait 20 games and see what Doc wants,” said someone who knows the inner workings of the Bucks well. “It sounds like chaos.”
Antetokounmpo has also helped fuel the rumors. A few weeks ago he talked about selling if this year goes to the stomach.
“If we don’t win this year, can you be fired?” the Bucks star asked the employee, via The Athletic. “Do you have it in your mind, like, ‘(What if) this year doesn’t go well?’ Yes, if we don’t win the championship, I might be sold. Yes, this is the work we do for a living. This is the world we live in. Everyone.”
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