The NBA officially approved a blockbuster trade Tuesday, July 7, 2026, sending two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Miami Heat. In exchange, the Bucks received Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis, and draft assets, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Antetokounmpo's emotional farewell to Milwaukee
Antetokounmpo, who spent 13 seasons with the Bucks, shared an emotional farewell video on social media. "I want you to hear from my mouth, the city of Milwaukee will always be in my heart," he said. "This is my home, and this is a place that I had my kids. ... It made me the man that I am today. That will never ever change. No matter where I am, Milwaukee will always be my city, my team, my family."
The AP reported that Antetokounmpo leaves Milwaukee as the franchise's all-time leading scorer with 21,531 points, more than 7,000 ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He also holds the team's all-time records in rebounds and assists and ranks second in career steals.
Heat president Riley calls trade historic
Miami hopes the acquisition will return the franchise to championship contention. "The announcement of today's trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis Jr. is one of the great trades in Heat history," Heat president Pat Riley said in a statement cited by the AP. "In my opinion, Giannis is one of the top five players in the league and Bobby is one of the best power forwards. The difficult part is trading Tyler, Kasparas, Jaime and Kel'el, who have given so much to this organization. We wish them nothing but the best."
Bucks GM Horst praises Antetokounmpo's legacy
Bucks general manager Jon Horst also praised Antetokounmpo while describing the deal as serving both sides. "Since we drafted him in 2013, Giannis has transformed the Milwaukee Bucks in every way — on the court, in our locker room and throughout the community," Horst said, according to the AP. "Over 13 seasons, he became an extraordinary leader, teammate and representative of this city, and one of the defining players of his generation. The standard he set will continue here."
The defining moment of Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee career came in 2021, when he led the Bucks to their first NBA championship in 50 years. He scored 50 points in the title-clinching Game 6 victory over the Phoenix Suns and was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player.
Antetokounmpo reflects on bond with Milwaukee
In his farewell message, Antetokounmpo reflected on his connection with the city. "I believe the city of Milwaukee is blue collar," he said. "It's people that work extremely hard every single day. They give all their hard-earned money just to come watch the Milwaukee Bucks, to come and feel something, to come, to be a part of us. I hope that I was able to represent them the best that I could. And I was like them. I showed up to work, did everything. I was willing to do all the dirty work, just like them. I hope that bringing a trophy to this city meant something to them, because it meant so much to me."
Antetokounmpo is expected to arrive in Miami in the coming days to begin the next chapter of his career, according to the AP.
