Giannis Antetokounmpo will suit up for the Miami Heat in the 2026-27 season after spending his first 13 NBA seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, according to the report. Antetokounmpo earned ten consecutive All-Star selections in Milwaukee and helped the Bucks capture the 2021 NBA title with a six-game series win over the Phoenix Suns. The Bucks traded Antetokounmpo to the Heat late Monday night.
The move marks another high-profile instance of a player leaving the franchise where he became a star. The report highlights other notable players who departed clubs after spending a decade or more with their original teams.
Michael Jordan built his legacy with the Chicago Bulls over 16 NBA seasons and helped the franchise to six championships in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998. Jordan retired in October 1993, returned in March 1995, retired again in January 1999, joined the Washington Wizards’ front office in January 2000 and then returned to play for the Wizards in September 2001. His final NBA game came on April 16, 2003.
Patrick Ewing was the face of the New York Knicks for 15 seasons, averaging 22.8 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.7 blocks during his time in New York. The Knicks pushed the Houston Rockets to seven games in the 1994 Finals and Ewing missed the 1999 Finals because of an injury. Ewing requested a trade after 15 seasons and 11 All-Star appearances and went on to play one season with the Seattle SuperSonics and then a season with the Orlando Magic before retiring in 2002.
Hakeem Olajuwon spent 17 seasons with the Houston Rockets, earning 12 All-Star and All-NBA selections, two championships, two Defensive Player of the Year awards and one MVP. Olajuwon helped the Rockets win back-to-back titles in the mid-1990s. The Rockets traded him to the Toronto Raptors before the 2001 season; he spent one year there and then retired.
Tony Parker and Klay Thompson also left the clubs where they rose to prominence. Parker, a six-time All-Star selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2001 draft, spent 17 seasons in San Antonio, winning championships in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014 before signing a two-year contract with the Charlotte Hornets prior to the 2018-19 season; he retired after one season in July 2019. Thompson spent his first 13 seasons with the Golden State Warriors after being selected No. 11 in the 2011 draft, helping the franchise to four championships; he joined the Dallas Mavericks via a sign-and-trade in the summer of 2024.
