‘Teams are circling’ on Giannis Antetokounmpo amid Bucks’ slow start

A dreadful start to the season in Milwaukee already has the sharks circling in the water over the team’s superstar. 

Gleeful rival executives have been watching the Bucks’ 1-3 start and are already dreaming of Giannis Antetokounmpo in another team’s jersey, according to a report from CBS Sports. 

“Teams are circling — and hopeful,” a Western Conference team exec told the outlet. 

Things have not exactly fallen into place so smoothly for the Bucks, who are three years removed from their 2021 title. 

The decision to hire Doc Rivers hasn’t panned out, with the team going just 20-26 since he was hired last year.

The addition of Damian Lillard last offseason was met with limited success. 

One team exec told CBS Sports that they “wouldn’t be surprised” if something happens by the trade deadline and an exec in the Eastern Conference said that he’s heard “Miami and New York — the Nets, not the Knicks” as preferred destinations for the “Greek Freak.” 

The Thunder could also fall into the group of possibilities as well for a potential Antetokounmpo suitor. 

“I haven’t heard them mentioned, but yeah, if you’re Milwaukee you might just go, ‘I don’t give a f— what you want. If you want out, we’re getting the best deal we can.’ And Oklahoma City could definitely offer a good one,” the Eastern Conference executive said. 

Antetokounmpo has spurred some of the speculation himself when he pointedly asked a Bucks staffer — in front of a reporter from The Athletic — a question about the possible repercussions if the team performs poorly.

“If we don’t win this year, would you get fired?” Antetokounmpo said. “Do you have it in the back of your mind, like, ‘[What] if this year doesn’t go well?’ Yeah, if we don’t win a championship, I might get traded. Yeah, this is the job we live. This is the world we’re living in. It’s everybody.”

If the Bucks’ season continues to trend in the wrong direction, expect the chatter to pick up more.