Heat Acquired Antetokounmpo and Portis in Trade
The Miami Heat revamped their roster after failing to reach the 2025-26 NBA playoffs.
Updated on Oct. 2, 2026 in Basketball
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In an offseason 2026 blockbuster, the Miami Heat traded Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Kel'el Ware to the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis. The franchise also signed Klay Thompson and Tim Hardaway Jr. in an effort to restore championship-level performance.
Why it matters
Management executed this roster overhaul with the explicit goal of securing an NBA championship after the team failed to qualify for the playoffs during the 2025-26 season. The team has not won a playoff series since 2023 and seeks to reestablish itself as a top contender.
The Heat will have 68 regular-season games broadcast by WPLG Local-10 this year. The team also scheduled 5 home preseason games to prepare for the upcoming campaign.
The players
Giannis Antetokounmpo
He is an NBA superstar and multi-time league MVP formerly of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Bobby Portis
He is a veteran power forward and key contributor known for his high-energy play.
Tyler Herro
He is a former Miami Heat guard known for his perimeter shooting and scoring ability.
Klay Thompson
He is a veteran shooting guard and multi-time NBA champion acquired to bolster the offense.
Tim Hardaway Jr.
He is an experienced perimeter shooter brought in to enhance the team's scoring depth.
The details
The front office prioritized offensive production by pairing the acquired star talent with new veteran shooters. This aggressive restructuring aims to reverse a multi-year decline that saw the team exit the playoffs early in 2023 and miss postseason play entirely in the 2025-26 season.
Timeline
The Heat last secured a playoff series victory in 2023.
The team missed the postseason throughout the 2025-26 season.
Miami faces the Raptors in Quebec City on October 4, 2026.
The club hosts its Red, White and Pink scrimmage on October 6, 2026.
The regular season begins against the Timberwolves on October 21, 2026.
Season Trajectory
These acquisitions signal an urgent shift in the franchise's strategy following the disappointment of the 2025-26 campaign. The new roster is explicitly designed to bypass the play-in tournament and secure a deep playoff run to match the precedent set by the 2023 Heat playoff series win.
Local fans should note that the revamped offensive rotation will be featured across 68 WPLG broadcast games. The changes significantly alter the team's cap space and rotation depth, impacting fantasy basketball outlooks and ticket demand for the five home preseason contests.
The takeaway
The Heat are aggressively leveraging veteran talent to overcome a two-year competitive drought. Fans can expect a faster-paced offense as the team seeks to capitalize on the prime years of its newly acquired stars.
Further reading
For more updates on the roster, visit Basketball.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Axios.
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