MIAMI — The Miami Heat acquired two-time NBA MVP and 10-time All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo in a blockbuster trade with the Milwaukee Bucks late Monday night, giving South Florida its second major professional sports acquisition in as many days.
The deal cost the Heat heavily. Miami sent Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware and Kasparas Jakucionis to Milwaukee along with the No. 13 pick in tonight’s NBA Draft, first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, and additional draft concessions, Florida Hockey Now reported. The Heat receive Bobby Portis in addition to Antetokounmpo.
The trade caps years of searching by the Heat for a franchise-altering superstar. Antetokounmpo, who won back-to-back MVP awards and led Milwaukee to an NBA championship, immediately becomes the most decorated player on Miami’s roster and one of the biggest names in South Florida sports.
The move came one day after the Florida Panthers executed their own blockbuster, trading for Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators on Sunday. The Panthers were set to officially introduce Tkachuk at a press conference in Fort Lauderdale later in the morning. Like the Heat, the Panthers surrendered significant draft capital in their deal.
The back-to-back acquisitions mark a striking 48-hour stretch for South Florida’s professional sports landscape, with both franchises betting future assets on proven stars. The Panthers head into the NHL Draft on Friday and Saturday at KeyBank Center in Buffalo with no first-round picks remaining. NHL free agency opens July 1, and the Panthers’ development camp is scheduled for late June or early July at the IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale.
The NBA Draft begins tonight, where Milwaukee will use the No. 13 pick it acquired from Miami as part of the Antetokounmpo deal.