Photo: Peter Baba

Giannis Antetokounmpo has not ruled out another chapter with the Milwaukee Bucks, saying he plans to return to the franchise after his current stint with the Miami Heat comes to an end.

“It will always be in my heart, and, luckily, when I finish this cycle with Miami, which I don’t know when it will end, and if, I will definitely return to Milwaukee, and I don’t know if they want me then,” Antetokounmpo said on AnesTea The Podcast.

The 31-year-old spent his first 13 NBA seasons with Milwaukee before the Bucks traded him and Bobby Portis to Miami in June. The trade was finalized on July 6, ending a run in which Antetokounmpo developed from the 15th overall pick in the 2013 draft into a two-time MVP, an NBA champion and one of the most accomplished players in franchise history.

Antetokounmpo appeared in 895 regular-season games for Milwaukee and averaged 24.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists. His 2025-26 season was shortened to 36 games, but he remained highly efficient, averaging 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists while shooting 62.4% from the field.

His Milwaukee peak included back-to-back MVP awards in 2019 and 2020, with the latter season also bringing Defensive Player of the Year honors. He then led the Bucks to the 2021 NBA championship, delivering 50 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks in the title-clinching Game 6 against the Phoenix Suns.

The Bucks finished 32-50 in 2025-26, their first season outside the playoffs since 2015-16, while the Heat went 43-39 and entered the offseason looking to build around Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.

Miami’s roster has undergone major changes since the trade. The Heat added Klay Thompson on a two-year contract, retained Andrew Wiggins on a new extension and Simone Fontecchio and signed Tim Hardaway Jr. after sending Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakucionis to Milwaukee as part of the Antetokounmpo deal.