Giannis Antetokounmpo trade grade for Bucks after sending franchise GOAT to Heat

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Giannis Antetokounmpo trade grade for Bucks after sending franchise GOAT to Heat

Jedd Pagaduan, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Tue, Jun 23, 2026 ·

6 min read

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Giannis Antetokounmpo trade grade for Bucks after sending franchise GOAT to Heat appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

Monday night marks a momentous yet sad occasion for the Milwaukee Bucks franchise, as they finally pulled the trigger on a trade to send the greatest player in franchise history, Giannis Antetokounmpo , to a destination of his liking. The Bucks decided that the best offer among teams interested in Giannis (and vice versa) came from the Miami Heat , with Antetokounmpo now headed to South Beach .

For so long, the Heat have been searching for ways to add another superstar to the roster. They have been notoriously stingy on the trade market, whiffing on major targets such as Damian Lillard and Kevin Durant , only to have that patience of theirs bear fruit in the form of Antetokounmpo.

For the Bucks, this trade was a long time coming. Tried as they might have, they were never going to be able to compete with Antetokounmpo still on the roster considering how they were still out a few first-round picks and how inflexible they've become, salary-wise, after waiving and stretching Lillard's contract to accommodate for Myles Turner 's arrival.

At the very least, Milwaukee tried to do right by Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo had Miami as one of his preferred destinations, and he got his wish. This is the kind of care the Bucks needed to show their franchise GOAT, and that at least deserves some props. They also gave Bobby Portis to the Heat, giving Miami another veteran contributor.

But from a return standpoint, were the Bucks able to get as much in return for Antetokounmpo, a man who still averaged 28/10/5 this past season despite facing a barrage of injury problems?

Here is an analysis of how the Bucks did in their trade of Antetokounmpo to the Heat.

Bucks grab as many assets from the Heat as possible

Bucks acquire: Tyler Herro , Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. , Kasparas Jakucionis , 13th overall pick (2026 NBA Draft), unprotected MIA first-rounders in 2031 and 2033, 2030 MIA first-round pick swap, and 2033 MIA second-round pick

An Antetokounmpo trade was seeming inevitable for the Bucks, especially after Giannis' relationship with the franchise has gotten worse over this past year or so. It was only going to be a matter of getting the best possible return for Giannis all while sending him to a team he wants to play for.

In the end, only three teams were in serious contention for Antetokounmpo: the Heat, Boston Celtics , and Minnesota Timberwolves . The Timberwolves did not want to gut their team to bring Antetokounmpo in, which is understandable, leaving the Heat and Celtics as the top two contenders.

And it's not like the Celtics played around with their offer. They put Jaylen Brown , the 2026 All-NBA Second Team forward, on the table for Antetokounmpo to go along with two first-round picks. Brown would have at least helped keep the Bucks semi-competitive.

But how much of that would have mattered for the Bucks anyway? Brown is a legitimate superstar who could have helped net Milwaukee an even bigger trade return, but the picks from the Celtics would not have amounted to much. It was also a bit of a risk for Milwaukee to put their eggs in one basket, as trading for Brown means focusing all the value in the trade return on one player.

Thus, the Bucks decided that the Heat's offer was better in the end, as they got four quality players, three first-round picks, including two for the next decade, and a lottery pick in this year's draft.

It wasn't that long ago when Herro was an All-Star, a 24 points per game scorer, a self-sufficient offensive player which every team that wants to win needs. His value is a bit depressed after an injury-ravaged 2025-26 campaign, but a contending team starved of offensive creation could look Herro's way and decide that he's their man.

For instance, the Detroit Pistons could take Herro off of the Bucks' hands, perhaps for an additional first-round pick. The Pistons badly need another scorer to pair with Cade Cunningham , and the Bucks could capitalize on this opportunity by trading Herro's expiring deal for even more assets.

Acquiring Ware, Jaquez, and Jakucionis, the Heat's first-round picks over the past three seasons, is also far from the worst maneuver for the Bucks. Ware is a double-double machine who simply needs to rev up his motor, Jaquez is an all-around weapon who averaged 15/5/5 on over 50 percent shooting from the field in 75 games (74 off the bench), while Jakucionis began getting real minutes for Miami towards the end of last season.

The main concern, of course, is that none of those three have shown the potential to be franchise cornerstones. They're not the crown jewel of any trade return, although Ware's counting stats could lead some to believe that he's a future superstar (he absolutely can be, but his motor needs to improve exponentially).

But Ware is only 22, Jaquez is only 25, and Jakucionis is only 20. These three are recent first-round picks, all of whom the Heat were extremely high on. The Bucks essentially got six first-round picks for Antetokounmpo, as all of these players are still on their rookie contracts.

And then there's the matter of the 2031 and 2033 first-round picks having the potential to be great. By 2031, Giannis is already going to be 37 years of age. He's already been having troubles with his calf, so it's not too much of a stretch to think that he could have even more lower-body struggles in five years' time.

If anything, the Antetokounmpo trade is a bit comparable to the Anthony Davis deal . The New Orleans Pelicans got Brandon Ingram , Lonzo Ball , Josh Hart , and three first-round picks (which became De'Andre Hunter, which the Pelicans flipped for Jaxson Hayes and Nickeil Alexander-Walker , Dyson Daniels , and Drake Powell ).

Ingram became an All-Star in New Orleans . Ball was quality in the Big Easy, but the Pelicans decided to sign and trade him away in 2021. Hart was moved to the Portland Trail Blazers shortly after. The picks never amounted to much for the Pelicans, only to see the players they drafted flourish elsewhere.

The Bucks got similar value; it's up to them to get more out if it in the long run. It's not easy to trade away a franchise cornerstone, but considering recent superstar trade precedent, Milwaukee did not get shafted here — not one bit.

They were never getting Bam Adebayo . They decided to spread out their asset return instead of getting just one (yet high quality) in Brown from the Celtics. And considering the circumstances, this has to be more than fair for Milwaukee, as holding on to Giannis would not have benefitted them in the slightest as he's in the final guaranteed year of his contract (with a player option worth $62.8 million next season).

Grade: B

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