The Miami Heat undoubtedly had the biggest summer out of any team around the league, especially after bringing in a ton of veterans with championship experience. The Heat do not want to miss the playoffs anytime soon after failing to make it last season.
Miami is making it a priority to be one of the best teams in the NBA this season. It started by acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“The Milwaukee Bucks are trading franchise icon Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to the Miami Heat for Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round picks (including No. 13 in Tuesday's NBA draft), one pick swap and one second-round pick, sources told ESPN. The Heat are sending to Milwaukee unprotected first-rounders in 2031 and 2033 along with No. 13, a pick swap in 2030 and a 2033 second-rounder, according to sources," ESPN's Shams Charania wrote.
After the first preseason game, head coach Erik Spoelstra compared him to Magic Johnson.
“The size and the vision and his ability to put it on the numbers to shooters is really impressive ... The way he's played with the ball in his hands and delivering the ball, (Giannis) reminds all of us of a great big point guard that played for Pat (Riley) back in the 80s," Spoelstra said.
Antetokounmpo has been very vocal about the difference between Miami and his former team, the Milwaukee Bucks. Recently, the former NBA champion went off on Brook Lopez, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday over their work ethic.
“No, I don’t regret it because you gotta deal with the personnel the team has. Brook Lopez is not showing up a month early. Khris Middleton is not showing up a month early. Jrue Holiday is not showing up a month early. Like, we knew what the deal was,” he said.
This is an interesting way for Antetokounmpo to show the difference between what went down in Milwaukee and what is happening now in Miami. He called out the guys who were viewed as stars on the Bucks team during his tenure.
It is hard to tell if there is any love lost between his former teammates or not. This is certainly a great amount of shade that Antetokounmpo has thrown at his former team, an organization he has so much love for.
