Bucks trade Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami Heat, securing four players and three first-round picks
The Milwaukee Bucks have agreed to trade two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and forward Bobby Portis to the Miami Heat for Tyler Herro, three first-round picks and additional draft assets, ending a 13-year run in Wisconsin.
The trade package
Milwaukee receives Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr and Kasparas Jakucionis from Miami. The Heat also send their 2026 first-round pick (No. 13 overall), unprotected first-rounders in 2031 and 2033, a pick swap in 2030 and a 2033 second-round selection. Miami lands Antetokounmpo, 31, alongside Portis to bolster its frontcourt. The deal was reported late Monday by ESPN and multiple outlets; it is expected to become official on July 6 and could expand to include other teams before then.
Miami's pursuit pays off
The Heat have chased a superstar since LeBron James departed in 2014. Team president Pat Riley succeeded where Boston did not, the Celtics had offered Jaylen Brown but were outbid. Miami now pairs Antetokounmpo with All-Star center Bam Adebayo, whom the franchise sees as its long-term anchor. The roster also retains Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Jović, while free agents Norman Powell and Davion Mitchell are expected to be in the plans.
The long goodbye
Antetokounmpo's exit ends more than a year of uncertainty. The Bucks, who drafted him 15th overall in 2013, built a championship team around him in 2021 after he overcame a knee hyperextension to return for the NBA Finals and score 50 points in the title-clinching Game 6. But the franchise has since fallen to a 32-50 record and missed the playoffs. Antetokounmpo, frustrated by roster construction and injury management, was blunt this spring.
I feel like sometimes people just don't listen. They listen to the sources. The main source is me. It is what it is.
- Drafted 15th overall by Milwaukee Bucks
- Wins first NBA Most Valuable Player award
- Leads Bucks to first championship since 1971; wins Finals MVP
- Publicly criticizes Bucks’ management over roster direction and injury handling
- ESPN reports trade agreement sending Antetokounmpo to Miami Heat
- Trade expected to become official
What comes next
Miami can offer Antetokounmpo a four-year, $275 million extension as soon as January, or let him exercise his 2027-28 option and then sign a three-year deal worth $214 million. The Heat still need to add shooting and a primary ball-handler, but their front office has a track record of finding contributors from the margins. Milwaukee begins a rebuild around young players, led by Wisconsin native Herro, and a stash of future draft capital.
