Giannis Antetokounmpo, along with Bobby Portis, has been traded to the Miami Heat in exchange for Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, and three first-round picks in a blockbuster deal. Here are the three biggest winners and losers in the trade.
Biggest Winners and Losers From the Blockbuster NBA Trade
Winner: Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Greek Freak gets a chance at a clean slate by headlining to Miami. It was reported all along that Antetokounmpo’s preferred destinations were between Boston and Miami, and he ended up landing with one of them. Antetokounmpo and the Bucks have had issues with the Heat in the playoffs in years past, so he knows what kind of organization he is going to.
Loser: Brad Stevens
The Celtics President of Basketball Operations, Brad Stevens, was in serious discussions to land the superstar in a trade centered around 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown and picks. Landing Antetokounmpo in Boston would have assuredly made the Celtics the front-runners for the NBA Finals in the Eastern Conference, an outcome Stevens and the Celtics’ front office were unable to achieve.
It also leaves the Brown factor out there and how the Celtics deal with him in the future, knowing that he had been in trade talks to acquire Antetokounmpo. It could pose as an awkward situation getting Brown to fully buy into the Celtics this year, knowing he was nearly traded. They likely won’t look to ship Brown anywhere else, as it had been reported that Boston would only move Brown in a package for Antetokounmpo.
Winner: Pat Riley
Pat Riley had been stating for a while that the Heat were looking for a big fish. They had kicked the tires with certain players over the last couple of summers, such as Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, and Trae Young. Ultimately, they were able to land Antetokounmpo in a lineage of big fish Riley has helped lure to Miami for over a decade. From the likes of LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Jimmy Butler, Riley finally lands another Hall of Famer.
Loser: Jaylen Brown
Had Brown been involved in the deal to send to get Antetokounmpo to Boston, Brown would have had the opportunity to run his own team as the lead dog after doing so for the majority of last season.
Brown enjoyed his best individual season, averaging 28.7 points per game, 5.1 assists, and 6.9 rebounds. The assists and points were both career highs. Brown’s season kept him in the MVP conversation all year, as he helped lead the Celtics to the second seed in the Eastern Conference. He finished sixth in MVP voting and was selected second-team All-NBA.
Brown made headlines after the Celtics were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs after being up 3-1, saying that this was the most fun he had playing this season. Most people took Brown’s comments as a shot at Jayson Tatum because Brown expressed the freedom he was allowed to play with last season.
It might not be now, but Brown could be a prime trade target at the trade deadline if things get a little rocky in Boston to start the season.
Winner: Bam Adebayo
Bam Abebayo had been deemed the only untouchable piece in the chase for any NBA Superstar. Riley said at the end of the season that he wanted to build the team around Adebayo as they pursued roster upgrades. He even joked by saying he’d only trade him for eight first-round picks or Victor Wembanyama.
Loser: Jimmy Haslam
Milwaukee Bucks owner and owner of the Cleveland Browns, Jimmy Haslam, has had a rough go of it with superstar talent the last couple of months. Haslam and the Browns traded away franchise great Myles Garrett at the beginning of June and will now trade franchise great Antetokounmpo.
Main Image: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
