The Miami Heat landed two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night, sending a package of four players and multiple draft picks to Milwaukee, according to a person familiar with the deal who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade had yet to receive league approval.
Trade Details
The Heat receive Antetokounmpo and forward Bobby Portis. The Bucks get Wisconsin native Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware, and Kasparas Jakucionis, plus the No. 13 pick in Tuesday's NBA draft, a 2030 first-round pick swap, first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, and a second-round pick in 2033, the person said.
The deal 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, who led Milwaukee to the 2021 NBA title, is a nine-time All-NBA selection, and averaged 27.6 points per game in an injury-shortened 2025-26 season.
Heat's Superstar Pursuit Pays Off
Miami has long sought a superstar, following a pattern of landing Shaquille O'Neal in 2004 (leading to the 2006 title) and LeBron James and Chris Bosh in 2010 (resulting in four Finals trips and titles in 2012 and 2013). Now, Antetokounmpo, 31, is expected to sign a massive extension with the Heat, who believe he has many productive years left.
Antetokounmpo was a perennial MVP candidate in Milwaukee, receiving votes in nine consecutive seasons before 2025-26, when too many missed games left him ineligible. He has averaged 24.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game in his career, with three seasons averaging over 30 points. Only seven active players have more career points than his 21,531.
Trade Seemed Inevitable
Antetokounmpo had been mentioned in trade talks for years, but the Bucks always insisted they would not trade their franchise player. However, after firing coach Doc Rivers and lacking a championship-contending roster, the Bucks decided to rebuild. Co-owner Jimmy Haslam said in May, before introducing new coach Taylor Jenkins, that if Giannis played elsewhere, the team would get many assets. Jenkins and the NBA now have their answer.
Antetokounmpo had spoken highly of Miami over the years, even during playoff battles. He shares an agent with Heat star center Bam Adebayo, who was the only player Miami refused to part with in the deal. After Milwaukee played Miami on March 12, Antetokounmpo said, “They’re going to play tough and they’re not going to stop playing. That’s the Miami Heat culture.” That game was his second-to-last in a Bucks uniform; he played three nights later against Indiana, then sat out Milwaukee's final 15 games due to what the team called a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise, though Antetokounmpo said he was healthy and wanted to play, leading to a league investigation.
Legacy and Championships
Antetokounmpo said entering the 2025-26 season that he thinks about his legacy and wants more championships. Told he is already an all-time great, he disagreed. “I’m not there yet,” he said at Bucks training camp. His resume includes a championship, MVP, Finals MVP, perennial All-Star and All-NBA selections, and being one of seven players born outside the U.S. to reach 20,000 points. In 2025, he led Greece to its first EuroBasket medal in 16 years. “Every basketball player, every athlete, starts a career and they have this quest of what they want to accomplish and what to be remembered for,” he said. He spoke those words in Miami, which is now his new home.
