Giannis Antetokounmpo Traded to the Miami Heat: Complete Fantasy Basketball Breakdown
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Just after midnight Eastern time, the Milwaukee Bucks reached a deal with the Miami Heat to send Giannis Antetokounmpo to South Beach. The blockbuster trade comes mere hours after ESPN's Shams Charania reported that a deal involving Giannis was set to happen before Tuesday's NBA Draft. The deal is now official, and it is just under 20 hours before the Wizards will make the first overall selection.
The realm of fantasy basketball has now shaken up, and for the better, by our account. The Heat have moved star power in trade for a generational player. Pat Riley got his deal done, which he had desired for months on end. 16 years after the Heat landed LeBron James, they have their modern-day face of the franchise.
Fantasy Basketball Impact
BLOCKBUSTER: 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, 3 first-round picks (including No. 13), 1 pick swap and 1 second-rounder, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/NQT5ZhdJU9
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2026
Heat Depth Chart:
Position | Starter | Backup |
|---|---|---|
Point Guard | Davion Mitchell | Dru Smith |
Shooting Guard | Norman Powell | Pelle Larsson |
Small Forward | Andrew Wiggins | Simonne Fontecchio |
Power Forward | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Nikola Jovic |
Center | Bam Adebayo | Bobby Portis |
The depth chart paints a very clear picture: Giannis controls the basketball court when he is on it. While listed as a power forward, Giannis can play positions 1 through 5. He was second in the NBA in usage rate (2025-26) and will aim for the same, which projects to 34-37%.
Davion Mitchell will be a low-usage point guard, with the sole goal of feeding Giannis and Bam Adebayo. Norman Powell will be a sharpshooting second/third option in the offense, shooting 38.0% from 3-point range in 2025-26 and 43.5% in the years prior.
Wiggins will be a veteran piece, with a usage rate of around 17-20%. Adebayo will rim protect, allowing Giannis to play all over the court. The duo will expect to thrive in which Giannis thrives in driving to the hoop, and any opposing big men will have to pay focus to Adebayo, who scored 83 points in a 2026 Heat basketball game.
Anytime Giannis is playing, he is the 'guy.' The floor is very high on Giannis, and in fantasy basketball, he shall rise in value. Why? The Heat are much better than the Bucks, even after this trade. Giannis was the 6th-best player in daily fantasy basketball points per game, per DraftKings. On the Heat, Giannis is certified top-5 with No. 1 overall upside.
New Fantasy Basketball Rankings Projections:
- Nikola Jokic
- Luka Doncic
- Victory Wembanyama
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Fantasy Basketball Impact: Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Herro is going to rise in fantasy basketball. It is unique: Herro leaves for a worse team, but rises. Why? He has less competition regarding his usage projection. The Heat have operated with an array of rising and current stars, all proficient in scoring. That has included Norman Powell (26.2% usage rate), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (21.6% usage rate), Andrew Wiggins (19.4% usage rate), and Simonne Fontecchio (18.4% usage rate), among others.
In Milwaukee, Herro will be the go-to guy on offense. Ryan Rollins is supplementary on offense and very much not the No. 1 option. Kyle Kuzma will be a second or third scoring option. Milwaukee will be the Herro-Jaquez show.
Herro shot 48.0% from the field in 2025-26 while Jaquez Jr. shot 50.7%. In fantasy basketball points-per-game, Herro ranked 61st and Jaquez, 102nd overall. Herro was the G30, and Jaquez Jr. was the F77.
Such a rise will also feature risk, playing in a new city with an unfamiliar roster. Nonetheless, Herro and Jaquez Jr. rise a few spots in the rankings.
If any sleeper arose in the trade, it may be Center, Kel'el Ware. He ranked as the C40 in 2025-26 fantasy basketball while averaging 22.1 minutes per game. Ware will play behind Myles Turner, who is aging another year. The Bucks will be able to get Ware to a 20-30% minutes increase in minutes, allowing him to be more dominant. Ware had a 41.0% rebound rate in 2025-26, plus a 47.5% block rate.
Ware shall rise to become a top-30 center in 2026-27 fantasy basketball. At 22 years old, Ware is a fantastic dynasty fantasy basketball asset.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.