The Giannis Antetokounmpo era in Milwaukee is over. The Bucks traded him to the Miami Heat late Monday night, beating out the Boston Celtics in the bidding war that has dominated the NBA offseason. Miami gets the two time MVP. Milwaukee gets a haul.
The deal is massive. The Bucks receive Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, and three first round picks, including the No. 13 pick in Tuesday’s draft. Bobby Portis goes back to Milwaukee in the deal as well. That is a complete teardown of the Heat’s young core for the biggest superstar trade since Kevin Durant went to Golden State.
Miami won the race because Giannis told them he would sign an extension. Boston had reportedly offered a Jaylen Brown centered package that was probably better in pure talent. But Giannis only agreed to ink long term with Miami or Boston, and he made it clear Miami was his preferred destination. That gave the Heat leverage. Pat Riley took advantage.
This is the move that defines the Heat’s offseason. For two years, Miami has been stuck in the play in tournament purgatory. Jimmy Butler aged out. Tyler Herro was good but not great. Bam Adebayo was carrying too much load. The roster was old, slow, and not getting any better. Adding Giannis makes them a championship contender overnight.
Bam Adebayo and Giannis is going to be a nightmare defensive duo. Both can guard 1 through 5. Both protect the rim. Both run the floor in transition. Offensively, you have one of the greatest finishers in the history of the league with one of the most skilled centers around. Spacing will be a question. Spacing is always a question when you have two non shooters in the frontcourt. But the talent overcomes a lot of those concerns.
The Bucks did okay in the deal. Tyler Herro is a real player. He averaged over 23 points a game last season. He shoots threes. He runs an offense. He is 26 years old. The Bucks essentially turn Giannis into a younger building block and a haul of picks. That is the modern superstar trade template.
Kel’el Ware and Jaime Jaquez Jr. are interesting young pieces. Ware showed flashes as a rookie in Miami. He is a 7 footer who can run, finish, and protect the rim. Jaquez is a heady, physical wing who could play big minutes for the Bucks immediately. None of those guys are stars, but together they are a real foundation to build around.
Boston is the biggest loser here. The Celtics put their best foot forward. They were willing to break up the Brown and Jayson Tatum partnership, take a big swing, and chase a chip. They came up empty. Now they have to figure out what to do with Brown, who is going to be in trade rumors all summer. Brad Stevens has work to do.
Milwaukee is also a loser in the long term. The Bucks were one of the best run franchises in the league for a decade because of Giannis. Now they have to start over with Tyler Herro as their best player. They are basically rebuilding. Bobby Portis coming back is nice for fans but does not move the needle. The Damian Lillard trade looks worse than ever.
The biggest winner of all is the Eastern Conference race. Giannis and Adebayo together are going to terrorize teams. The Knicks just won a title. The Heat just got a superstar. Boston has Tatum and a roster decision to make. The East just got more interesting than it has been in years.
Pat Riley does not lose these bidding wars often. He did not lose this one.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
