A blockbuster trade by the Miami Heat this offseason brings two new faces from Milwaukee: forwards Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis.
The addition of the NBA superstar to the Heat was just the move Team President Pat Riley was looking to make, bringing new star talent to the team after trading Jimmy Butler more than a year ago.
The Miami Heat officially introduced Antetokounmpo to fans on Thursday at Kaseya Center, a couple of weeks after the team traded for the two-time MVP and Portis in exchange for Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, Kasparas Jakučionis and significant draft capital, highlighted by three first-round picks.
Antetokounmpo entered the NBA in 2013, drafted 15th overall from Filathlitikos B.C., a semi-pro Greek basketball team based in Athens. Since then, the six-foot-eleven forward’s career has spanned a total of 21,531 points, 8,882 rebounds and 4,484 assists.
His stats haven’t come without results, either: He became the 12th player in NBA history to win MVP in consecutive seasons, winning in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons. Antetokounmpo is also a one-time Defensive Player of the Year winner (2020) and led the Milwaukee Bucks to an NBA Championship in 2021 with a 50-point Game 6 performance against the Phoenix Suns.
The 31-year-old’s arrival to Miami marks the start of a new era, adding his talents and hunger for a championship to form one of the strongest frontcourts in the league alongside three-time all-star Bam Adebayo. The 29-year old center is coming off his fifth NBA All-Defensive Second Team appearance and scored a historic 83 points against the Washington Wizards on March 10.
Portis also comes with Antetokounmpo as part of the massive trade package, though he has flown a little under the radar due to the shadow of Antetokounmpo’s stardom. However, this does not mean he should be disregarded. The six-foot-nine veteran forward was also part of the Bucks’ efforts to win the NBA Finals in 2021, and he told Local 10 News that playing for Miami fulfills a longtime dream for him, as the Heat were his favorite team growing up.
Other than the massive trade package, the Heat also made two important signings. The first was the signing of 34-year-old Tim Hardaway Jr. for a one-year deal worth $6.5 million. The son of Heat legend Tim Hardaway Sr., the six-foot-five guard adds a perimeter threat to the Heat’s offense as one of the league’s most dangerous long-range shooters.
Hardaway Jr. will continue his dad’s legacy while building his own, wearing the number 10 Hardaway Sr. wore with the Heat in the 1990s.
The Heat also snagged former Miami Hurricane Tre Donaldson as an undrafted free agent to a two-way contract. As a senior at UM, he averaged 16.4 points, 5.7 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.37 steals per game and was named to the All-ACC Second Team.
Donaldson should not be overlooked just because he went undrafted. Miami has a strong history of developing undrafted talent, with players like Duncan Robinson, Max Strus and Udonis Haslem each making their marks as undrafted talent brought in by Riley.
Miami will continue to round out its roster through free agency, being linked to free agent LeBron James and other veterans with the hopes of bringing the Heat back to the Finals.
Emil Salgado Vazquez
Source link