Giannis Antetokounmpo is no longer a Milwaukee Buck. The two-time NBA Most Valuable Player has been traded to the Miami Heat in a deal that sends Bobby Portis along with him, according to BBC Sport. Heading to Milwaukee in return are Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Kasparas Jakucionis.
Antetokounmpo, 31, was drafted by the Bucks in 2013 and spent his entire NBA career in Milwaukee before the trade. He won the NBA championship with the Bucks in 2021. His departure closes one of the longer and more decorated runs a player has had with a single franchise in recent league history.
His exit did not come without tension. Last season, Antetokounmpo publicly criticized Milwaukee's management for not clearing him to play after he suffered a left knee hyperextension. The Bucks also failed to reach the playoffs, which added pressure to an already uncertain situation surrounding his future. The Boston Celtics had also been linked to the Greek star before the deal with Miami was finalized.
Speaking in April after the Bucks missed the playoffs, Antetokounmpo addressed the speculation about his situation. "I feel like sometimes people just don't listen," he said. "They listen to the sources. The main source is me. It is what it is."
Heat president Pat Riley did not hold back in his assessment of the deal. He called it "one of the great trades" in the history of the franchise. Miami has won three NBA titles, in 2006, 2012, and 2013.
Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia 76ers confirmed they acquired Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics. Philadelphia sent veteran forward Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks to Boston in exchange for Brown. The 76ers also signed free-agent guard Anfernee Simons.
