MIAMI (AP) — The Miami Heat have landed their next superstar, acquiring two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks in a massive trade completed Monday night.
The deal brings an end to a lengthy pursuit by Miami for a marquee player of Antetokounmpo’s caliber. The 31-year-old is not only a two-time Most Valuable Player but also a 10-time All-Star, a nine-time All-NBA selection, and was named to the NBA’s 75th anniversary list honoring the greatest players in league history. He led Milwaukee to the 2021 NBA championship and averaged 27.6 points per game last season before an injury cut his year short.
According to a source who spoke with The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity — because the trade has not yet received the required league approval — the terms are as follows: Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis will go to Miami, while Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, and Kasparas Jakucionis head to Milwaukee. The Bucks will also receive at least four draft picks, including the No. 13 pick set to be used in Tuesday night’s NBA draft.
In the final days leading up to the deal, the Bucks weighed competing offers from both Miami and Boston before ultimately choosing the Heat’s package.
This type of blockbuster acquisition is nothing new for Miami. The franchise made similar splashes when it brought in Shaquille O’Neal in 2004 — a move that helped deliver the 2006 NBA title — and again in 2010 when LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade, resulting in four consecutive NBA Finals appearances and back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013.
With Antetokounmpo now in the fold, the Heat are widely expected to offer him a substantial contract extension later this year, betting that the Greek superstar still has plenty of productive seasons ahead of him.
