From the Archives: A Franchise That Has Let Go of Legends…

By the Bucks Nightly Desk · Friday, October 2

Milwaukee's history holds two prior trades of a transformative player, in 1975 and 1998, long before Antetokounmpo went to Miami this year. The current roster, assembled from that trade and the 2021 championship core that preceded it, now carries Milwaukee's identity forward under Taylor Jenkins.

Bucks Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

1968-1971

Milwaukee entered the NBA in 1968 with nothing built yet, then won a coin flip for Lew Alcindor, who became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and traded for Oscar Robertson soon after. By year three the Bucks went 66-16 and swept the Baltimore Bullets for the 1971 title. Fast turnarounds are not new to this franchise.

1975

A year after losing the Finals to Boston in seven games, Milwaukee traded Abdul-Jabbar to the Lakers for Elmore Smith, Junior Bridgeman, Brian Winters and David Meyers. The franchise has parted with a generational player for a package of complementary pieces before — the shape of this year's trade with Miami is not unprecedented.

1998

Draft night brought a harder outcome: Dirk Nowitzki's rights were sent to Dallas for Robert Traylor, a trade the franchise still counts among its costliest. It sits alongside 1975 as proof that Milwaukee has moved on from generational talent more than once, with differing results.

2021

The modern era, built around Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard, closed with a second championship — 50 years after the first. No other NBA franchise has won a title from both conferences; Milwaukee did it as a Western team in 1971 and an Eastern one in 2021.

June 23, 2026

Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis went to Miami for Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware and Kasparas Jakucionis, with Brayden Burries and Nate Ament added through that year's draft picks. Kuzma and Turner stayed put. It is the third time this franchise has let go of a defining player, after 1975 and 1998, and the return is the biggest test yet.

Next Preseason opens October 5 against Minnesota, and the regular season begins October 21 at Washington — the first real look at whether this remade roster plays closer to 2021 or to 1998.

Why did the Bucks trade Giannis Antetokounmpo?

The deal closed June 23, 2026: Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis went to Miami for Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware and Kasparas Jakucionis, plus the draft picks used on Brayden Burries and Nate Ament.

Has Milwaukee ever traded away a franchise star before?

Yes. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was dealt to the Lakers in 1975, and Dirk Nowitzki's draft rights went to Dallas in 1998 — both moves this year's Antetokounmpo trade is now measured against.