Former Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers revealed Giannis Antetokounmpo kept "yo-yoing" by not publicly requesting a trade before being dealt to the Miami Heat this summer. Rivers told "The Bill Simmons Podcast" that Giannis wanted out but avoided being the "bad guy" by letting the Bucks' front office make the move. Throughout the 2025-26 season, Antetokounmpo publicly committed to Milwaukee, but sources told ESPN's Shams Charania that he and agent Alex Saratsis had informed the Bucks since May 2025 that a trade was best for both sides.
The Bucks ultimately traded Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to the Heat for Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round picks, one pick swap and one second-round pick. The Heat are off to a slow start, going 3-6 through a 120-100 loss to the Golden State Warriors, with Antetokounmpo leading Miami in points (27.3 PPG) and rebounding (12.7 RPG). Rivers discussed coaching challenges, wishing Antetokounmpo had stepped up as a stronger leader in Milwaukee.
He criticized Antetokounmpo's style as "downhill, force, force," noting the star "has never needed to execute because he can do it on his own." Rivers, who went 97-103 in three Bucks seasons with two first-round exits, reiterated he has no plans to coach again, joining NBC in September as an NBA analyst after the team missed the playoffs for the first time since 2015-16.
Source: ESPN NBA · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing