Reports say Antetokounmpo is headed to Heat in Bucks trade
ESPN reported Miami will acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis from Milwaukee in a package built around players and draft picks.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
Giannis Antetokounmpo is set to move from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Miami Heat, AFP reported Monday, citing multiple US media outlets including ESPN. The reported trade would shift one of the NBA’s leading players to Miami and end his long run with the only team he has represented since entering the league.
ESPN reported that Miami will receive Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis. In return, Milwaukee will get Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakucionis, according to ESPN.
ESPN also reported that the Bucks will receive three first-round draft picks, a pick swap and a second-round selection as part of the deal. AFP reported that Miami beat out the Boston Celtics in the pursuit of Antetokounmpo.
A long Bucks tenure nears its end
Antetokounmpo, 31, is a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a 10-time All-Star, according to AFP. He helped Milwaukee win the NBA championship in 2021.
AFP reported that his departure would close more than a year of questions about whether he would spend the rest of his career with the Bucks. Milwaukee drafted Antetokounmpo in 2013, and he has played for no other NBA franchise, according to AFP.
The reports follow a difficult stretch for the Bucks. AFP reported that Milwaukee finished 32-50 and missed the playoffs, after which Antetokounmpo criticized the team’s inability to assemble a roster he believed could compete for championships.
Antetokounmpo also had voiced frustration with team management over his playing status after a left knee hyperextension, AFP reported. According to AFP, he said he was ready to play and wanted to help Milwaukee push for the playoffs, but the Bucks’ front office had declared him unavailable.
After the season ended, Antetokounmpo said the organization had not listened to him, according to AFP. “I feel like sometimes people just don’t listen,” he said in April. “They listen to the sources. The main source is me. It is what it is.”
Miami adds another proven star
The reported move would bring Miami a player with championship experience and a long record as one of the league’s top performers. AFP identified Antetokounmpo as the Greek star at the center of the deal, while ESPN named Portis as the other Milwaukee player included.
For Milwaukee, ESPN’s reported return centers on current players and future draft assets. Herro, Ware, Jaquez and Jakucionis would head to the Bucks, along with the package of picks reported by ESPN.
Neither AFP nor ESPN, as cited in the reports, said the trade terms had been formally announced by the teams. The reports nevertheless mark a major turn for Milwaukee after months of uncertainty around Antetokounmpo’s future.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.