Is there more to Giannis Antetokounmpo's trade joke?

They say there's a grain of truth in every joke.

When The Athletic's Sam Amick caught up with Giannis Antetokounmpo this week, the Bucks star joked about getting traded if the 2024-25 season doesn't go to plan. "The Greek Freak" made the joke while asking a Bucks staffer if he felt safe about his future, referencing the franchise firing Adrian Griffin after just 43 games on the job last season (and holding a 30-13 record at the time of his dismissal).

"If we don’t win this year, would you get fired?" Antetokounmpo asked the Bucks staffer. "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."

Antetokounmpo's comments hint at growing frustration within the Bucks organization, which, as a second-apron team, is projected to spend nearly $300 million in the 2024-25 season (tax penalties included). As a small-market franchise, the Bucks simply can't justify the payroll unless they can win a title or make a deep playoff run. Yet, few analysts or oddsmakers are picking them over the Celtics, Knicks or even 76ers to represent the East in the 2025 NBA Finals.

One wonders if the Bucks go the nuclear route of blowing up the team if they suffer another first-round playoff exit like last year. 

And if rumblings of the front office's unhappiness with Doc Rivers and Co. surface around the Feb. 2025 trade deadline, look for the Warriors to pounce on a potential deal for Antetokounmpo, while the Heat could do the same for Damian Lillard. 

Antetokounmpo's "joke" could very well be a red herring.