The Miami Heat put up a scorcher on the transaction log by trading for Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Buck stops here … namely in South Beach.
Per Shams Charania of ESPN, Giannis Antetokounmpo has been traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Miami Heat, ending his storied tenure in Cream City.
Milwaukee will also send Bobby Portis south and will receive a massive haul featuring Tyler Herro, Kasparas Jakučionis, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Kel’el Ware. The Bucks also obtain three unprotected first-round picks, including the 13th overall choice in Tuesday’s NBA Draft (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN), a 2033 second-round pick, and a 2030 swap. Charania notes the deal could possibly expand before it becomes official on July 6.
BLOCKBUSTER: The Milwaukee Bucks are trading franchise icon Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to the Miami Heat for Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, 3 first-round picks (including No. 13), 1 pick swap and 1 second-rounder, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/NQT5ZhdJU9
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2026
Buck That
Antetokounmpo leaves Wisconsin as the Bucks franchise’s all-time leader in games played, points, assists, rebounds, blocks, and field goal percentage.
He originally joined the Bucks as a first-round pick (15th overall) out of his native Greece in 2013, tipping off a career that has featured 10 All-Star Game selections, seven All-NBA First Team showings, four All-Defensive First Team appearances, two MVP Awards, and an NBA title in 2021. Antetokounmpo was the MVP of the Bucks’ first victorious championship series in 50 years, which saw them erase a 2-0 deficit against the Phoenix Suns.
While Antetokounmpo has kept his elite numbers consistent, the Bucks struggled to repeat that success. The franchise has won just one playoff series since its Larry O’Brien Trophy hoist and missed the postseason entirely last season, finishing with a 32-50 record, its worst since Antetokounmpo’s NBA entry in 2013-14.
Giannis Heads to South Beach, Celtics Miss Out
Rumors about Antetokounmpo’s future followed the Bucks all season, especially when he dealt with a variety of injuries. The Bucks were said to have engaged the New York Knicks in a discussion about Antetokounmpo’s future, but a deal could not be reached over the summer. One final controversy emerged when the Bucks tried to shut Antetokounmpo down for the final quarter of the season due to a knee injury despite his insistence he was healthy.
It led to a league investigation that required no further action. Antetokounmpo averaged 27.6 points and 9.8 rebounds in what became his final season in Milwaukee.
The Bucks will now get to start over with a series of young veterans, headlined by Milwaukee native and 2025 All-Star/3-Point Contest winner Tyler Herro. The newcomers join a core headlined by Myles Turner, who signed a four-year, $109 million contract in an effort to continually contend with Antetokounmpo last summer.
Trading for Antetokounmpo could well be Miami’s ticket out of the Play-In Tournament, where it has lingered for four consecutive seasons. The Heat finished 10th in the East last season, posting a 43-39 record before falling to the Charlotte Hornets in the opening round of the Play-In. Miami was said to have staved off the Boston Celtics in the race to obtain Antetokounmpo’s services.
Antetokounmpo will be a $58.45 million cap hit this season, entering the final year of a three-year, $175.37 million extension bestowed in October 2023. A $62.7 million player option for 2027-28 will follow him from Milwaukee.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
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