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Bucks icon Giannis Antetokounmpo was traded to Miami in a blockbuster swap.<\/p>\n
Giannis Antetokounmpo wants more championships. So do the Miami Heat.<\/p>\n
Their interests are officially aligned \u2014 and the Heat finally have another superstar.<\/p>\n
Ending a marathon watch for the next great Miami get, the Heat landed Antetokounmpo \u2014 a two-time NBA MVP and 10-time All-Star \u2014 from the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night in exchange for a massive haul of players and draft picks.<\/p>\n
In the trade, Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis are heading to Miami for Wisconsin native Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel\u2019el Ware and Kasparas Jaku\u010dionis. In the deal, Milwaukee also gets the No. 13 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, a first-round swap in 2030, first-round picks in 2031 and \u201933 and a second-round pick in 2033.<\/p>\n
Heat receive:<\/p>\n
Giannis Antetokounmpo
\nBobby Portis<\/p>\n
Bucks receive:<\/p>\n
Tyler Herro OFFICIAL: The Miami HEAT have acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis Jr. from Milwaukee in exchange for Tyler Herro, Kasparas Jaku\u010dionis, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel\u2019el Ware, three 1st round picks (2026, 2031 & 2033), a 2030 1st round pick swap and a 2033 2nd round pick. pic.twitter.com\/jGX4DxH4FB<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) July 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n You came to Milwaukee 13 years ago as a kid from Sepolia with an impossible dream. Over the past 13 years we have witnessed you grow into one of the greatest players the game has ever seen, the greatest Buck of all time, and the driving force behind an era of Bucks basketball\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/6oDA0APFwh<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) July 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Shortly after the trade was made official on July 6, Antetokounmpo posted a heart emoji to his social media accounts with a video looking back on his career in Milwaukee.<\/p>\n \u2764\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/x3dRX1StPE<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) July 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Additionally, Bucks GM Jon Horst issued a statement on social media that included the following: \u201cThere are few playes in the history of professional sports who have elevated a franchise, a city and a fan base the way Giannis Antetokounmpo has for Milwaukee and the Bucks. \u2026 We experienced moments that will live forever in franchise history, punctuated by the 2021 NBA Championship.<\/p>\n \u201cOn behalf of our entire organization, please join us in expressing our deepest gratitude to Giannis and his family.\u201d<\/p>\n A letter from GM Jon Horst. pic.twitter.com\/M9XzqwEguA<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) July 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cFor 13 seasons, Giannis gave everything to this organization and inspired our city with his relentless drive, humility and heart,\u201d Bucks owners Wes Edens, Jimmy and Dee Haslam, and Jamie Dinan said in a team statement<\/a>. \u201cHe grew into one of the greatest players in the world while becoming an integral part of the Milwaukee community. More importantly, Giannis represented this organization with authenticity, character and a deep commitment to the people of Milwaukee.<\/p>\n His unforgettable moments on the court and his influence beyond the game defined an era of Bucks basketball and elevated our franchise on a global stage. \u2026 Though this chapter has come to an end, Giannis\u2019 legacy in Milwaukee is secure. It will always be felt here \u2014 in the rafters, throughout our community and in the countless people he inspired. Forever a Buck.\u201d<\/p>\n The reported trade ends a wild back-and-forth in the final days of the saga, with the Bucks considering offers from both Miami and Boston for Antetokounmpo \u2014 who led Milwaukee to the 2021 NBA title and was on the NBA\u2019s 75th Anniversary Team<\/a>, is a nine-time All-NBA selection and is coming off an injury-shortened season in which he averaged 27.6 points per game.<\/p>\n Heat find a new star<\/p>\n There has been no secret that this is what Miami has sought, because this is what Miami usually seeks. The Heat pulled off similar moves by landing Shaquille O\u2019Neal in 2004<\/a> (helping lead to the 2006 NBA title) and by getting LeBron James and Chris Bosh to play alongside Dwyane Wade in 2010<\/a> (leading to four NBA Finals runs in four seasons together, along with the 2012 and 2013 NBA titles).<\/p>\n Now, it\u2019s Antetokounmpo\u2019s turn. At 31, the Heat clearly believe he still has many good years left \u2014 and it\u2019s generally presumed that by making this deal they\u2019ll give the Greek superstar a massive extension later this year.<\/p>\n He was a perennial MVP candidate in Milwaukee, getting votes for that award in nine consecutive seasons before 2025-26 when too many missed games left him ineligible.<\/p>\n He has averaged 24.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game in his career, with 10 consecutive seasons of averaging at least 22.9 points \u2014 with three years in there of averaging more than 30 points per game.<\/p>\n Only seven active players have more points in their careers than Antetokounmpo, who has totaled 21,531 to this point.<\/p>\n Antetokounmpo had been mentioned in trade talks countless times in recent years, with the Bucks always insisting \u2014 with words and actions \u2014 that they had no interest in trading their best player and one of the best players in the history of the franchise.<\/p>\n But this time, it seemed different.<\/p>\n The Bucks, who\u00a0fired Doc Rivers<\/a> as coach after the season, don\u2019t have a roster that would be considered a championship contender. By trading Antetokounmpo, they can essentially start over with four players (and the Heat were high on all of them) along with draft capital.<\/p>\n \u201cI just think before the draft is a natural time, right, because if Giannis does play somewhere else we\u2019re going to get a lot of assets. \u2026 You\u2019ve got to get it right,\u201d Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam said in May, when the team introduced\u00a0new coach Taylor Jenkins<\/a> \u2014 who was told that Antetokounmpo may or may not be with the franchise when next season starts.<\/p>\n Jenkins and the rest of the NBA now has the answer: Antetokounmpo won\u2019t be there.<\/p>\n Antetokounmpo had spoken highly of Miami many times over the years, even when the Heat and Bucks were going head-to-head in the playoffs. He also shares an agent with Heat star center Bam Adebayo, who was the only player Miami clearly was not willing to part with in order to make this deal happen.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re going to play tough and they\u2019re not going to stop playing,\u201d Antetokounmpo said after Milwaukee played Miami on March 12. \u201cThat\u2019s the Miami Heat culture.\u201d<\/p>\n Little did anyone know that night that those words were coming after what would be the next-to-last game for Antetokounmpo in a Bucks uniform. He played three nights later against Indiana, then was held out of Milwaukee\u2019s final 15 games of the season.<\/p>\n The Bucks said that was for injury-related reasons. Antetokounmpo said he wanted to play.<\/p>\n He had some bouts with injuries this past season: Antetokounmpo missed four games in late November with a left adductor strain and sat out eight games in December with a right calf strain, then he injured the right calf again in January.<\/p>\n He landed awkwardly on a dunk in that March 15 victory over Indiana and didn\u2019t play again due to what team officials had labeled as a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise. Antetokounmpo said the last few weeks of the season that he was healthy and wanted to play, a dispute that resulted in an investigation by the league office.<\/p>\n
\nKel\u2019el Ware
\nJaime Jaquez Jr.
\nKasparas Jaku\u010dionis
\nNo. 13 pick in 2026 NBA Draft (Nate Ament<\/a>)
\nFirst-round picks in 2031 and 2033
\nPick swap in 2030
\nSecond-round pick in 2033<\/p>\n