sports
Bucks Trade Giannis Antetokounmpo to Heat for Four Players and Multiple Draft Picks
The Milwaukee Bucks sent Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat two weeks before July 8, 2026. General manager Jon Horst called the move difficult but said it served both sides. The package included four players, three first-round picks, a pick swap and a second-round pick.
Jul 8, 6:41 PM·1m read1 source
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The Milwaukee Bucks traded Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat for four players, three first-round draft picks, a pick swap and a second-round pick, ESPN reported. The deal occurred two weeks before July 8, 2026. Bucks general manager Jon Horst described the transaction as a very difficult decision during a conference call with reporters.
He said the move was in the best interest of both the team and Antetokounmpo. "No one's sitting here today and saying that we're a better team today after trading Giannis," Horst said. Horst called Antetokounmpo one of the greatest players to ever play and the greatest player in franchise history.
He said he selected Miami's offer for the flexibility provided by the draft capital and the ages of the incoming players. The Bucks had spent 13 years with Antetokounmpo on the roster. Milwaukee finished the most recent season with a 32-50 record and missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years.
In the offseason the team replaced coach Doc Rivers with Taylor Jenkins. Horst said the trade was not a have to and that the organization believed it offered the best path forward for both sides. Antetokounmpo had long stated a desire to compete for a second NBA championship, yet the Bucks struggled to regain contender status.
Horst expressed optimism about building a new foundation while noting a wide range of emotions at the end of Antetokounmpo's tenure.
