Bucks-Heat trade official; Giannis, Bobby Portis headed to Miami
Bucks beat writer details Giannis split
Jim Owczarski, Bucks beat writer for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, joined the Wisconsin Live Desk to discuss his story that chronicled the split between Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Bucks trade to send Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to the Miami Heat in exchange for a handful of players and draft picks became official with the start of the new league year on Monday.
Giannis, Bucks share messages
What they're saying:
Antetokounmpo posted a farewell message to Milwaukee on X.
"The city of Milwaukee will always be in my heart. This is my home, and this is a place that I had my kids – my mom is here, my father is here, my brothers played here – it made me the man that I am today. That will never, ever change," he said in the message. "Milwaukee will always be my city, my team, my family."
Minutes later, the Milwaukee Bucks posted a message from general manager Jon Horst.
"There are few players in the history of professional sports who have elevated a franchise, a city and a fan base the way Giannis Antetokounmpo has for Milwaukee and the bucks," the message read. "On behalf of our entire organization, please join us in expressing our deepest gratitude to Giannis and his family."
"From delivering a championship to transforming our franchise, Giannis' impact on the Milwaukee Bucks is lasting and profound," Bucks owners Wes Edens, Jimmy and Dee Haslam and Jamie Dinan said in a statement. "We are incredibly grateful for what has been a remarkable and historic journey together."
On Portis' tenure, the team added: "Beyond his impact on the court, Bobby forged genuine connections throughout Milwaukee, invested his time and resources in the community and made the city his home. The relationship he built with our fans was special, and the chants of 'Bob-by! Bob-by!' that echoed throughout Fiserv Forum became a defining part of his legacy."
Bobby Portis and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Trade details
The backstory:
ESPN's Shams Charania first reported the trade late, which could not become official until the new league year started, on June 22. The Bucks confirmed the details on Monday.
Milwaukee acquired Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis and several draft picks in the deal with Miami. Antetokounmpo and Portis went to Miami.
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"We're excited to welcome Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez and Kasparas Jakucionis to Bucks basketball," Horst said in a statement. "Each brings talent, versatility, competitiveness and a team-first mentality that builds our culture and identity.
On June 25, the Bucks selected Arizona guard Brayden Burries with their own pick at No. 10. They acquired Tennessee forward Nate Ament, the No. 13 pick, from the Miami Heat.
Giannis trade: Bucks get players, picks in reported Heat blockbuster
The Bucks sent Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to the Heat in a reported trade. Here's a look at what Milwaukee received.
Giannis and Bobby
The backstory:
Antetokounmpo's NBA journey began when the Bucks selected him out of Greece in the 2013 draft, No. 15 overall.
In the 13 seasons since, Antetokounmpo cemented himself as one of the most dominant players in the history of both the NBA and the Milwaukee Bucks. He was named an NBA All-Star in 10 consecutive seasons. He has also tallied nine All-NBA honors, five All-Defense teams, a defense player of the year award, and two most valuable player awards.
The crowning achievement of Antetokounmpo's tenure in Milwaukee was the 2021 NBA championship, after which he was named NBA Finals MVP.
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Antetokounmpo sits at or near the top of almost every major statistical record in Bucks history. He leads the franchise in games played, points, assists, offensive and defensive rebounds, blocks, field goals made, and free throws made. He is second in steals, trailing only Quinn Buckner.
Portis heads to Miami after six seasons, more than half of his 11-year NBA career, in Milwaukee. The fan favorite forward was a key piece of the 2021 NBA championship team.
Originally a first-round pick out of Arkansas in 2015, Portis' professional career began with the Chicago Bulls before stops with the Washington Wizards and New York Knicks. He joined the Bucks as a free agent in 2020.
Portis appeared in more than 400 regular-season games for Milwaukee, but started just over 100 – a rotation regular who primarily profiled as the team's sixth man during his tenure.
Complete coverage
The Source: Information in this story is from the Milwaukee Bucks, the NBA and social media messages with reference to prior coverage of the reported trade, including information from Charania.