Giannis Antetokounmpo acknowledged that his decision to leave the Milwaukee Bucks was driven by his desire to compete for another NBA championship, but the former franchise cornerstone also admitted he hopes his departure will not be permanent.
In an interview with Jim Paschke, Antetokounmpo reflected on the difficult choice to leave Milwaukee, saying he feared reaching the end of his career with regrets if he never pursued another championship opportunity elsewhere.
“There’s something when I wake up every day or when I take my showers at night and I think, ‘Man, maybe I waited too long [to leave].'” Antetokounmpo said. “I see guys playing deep into the playoffs, and I think, ‘Maybe if I switch teams and go somewhere else and have a better opportunity, I can play deep in the playoffs and chase another championship, because I really want that.’ I’m scared that if I don’t take that decision, when I’m 37 or 38 years old, hopefully when I’m retiring, I’m going to say, ‘Why didn’t you take that risk?'”
Those comments came shortly after Milwaukee traded Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to the Miami Heat in one of the biggest deals of the 2026 offseason. Miami surrendered Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., rookie Kasparas Jakucionis, the No. 13 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft (Nate Ament), unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2030 first-round swap, and a 2033 second-round selection to complete the trade.
While Antetokounmpo admitted chasing another title motivated his decision, he also emphasized how difficult it was to leave the only NBA organization he had known.
“I’m scared. I’m scared of change,” Antetokounmpo said. “I’m scared that the grass is not always greener. People love me here. People respect me here. People allow me to be myself here in the city. I’m scared I might not be able to find that ever again.”
The emotional attachment to Milwaukee also left Antetokounmpo open to the possibility of returning someday. After Paschke suggested he would always have a home with the Bucks, Antetokounmpo referenced Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett, who finished his career back with the Minnesota Timberwolves after being traded earlier in his career.
“That would be awesome if I can go and play and maybe come back,” Antetokounmpo said. “Kevin Garnett did the same thing.”
The trade officially closed one chapter of Antetokounmpo’s career after he spent more than a decade with the Bucks, winning an NBA championship, two MVP awards and establishing himself as one of the franchise’s greatest players. Even during Milwaukee’s disappointing 32-50 season, which ended with the team missing the playoffs, Antetokounmpo remained among the league’s most productive stars. He averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists while shooting 62.4% from the field and posting a 63.6 effective field goal percentage in 36 games.
Miami believes Antetokounmpo can immediately elevate a roster that reached the NBA Finals despite finishing 43-39 and entering the postseason through the Play-In Tournament. Heat president Pat Riley called the acquisition “one of the great trades in Heat history,” describing Antetokounmpo as one of the NBA’s top five players while also praising the addition of Portis.
The Heat have continued building around their new superstar by re-signing Andrew Wiggins, bringing back Simone Fontecchio, guaranteeing Dru Smith’s contract and signing Tim Hardaway Jr. Reports have also linked Miami to additional veteran targets, including LeBron James, Bradley Beal and Khris Middleton, as the organization looks to maximize its championship window.
