Two Arkansas basketball players were involved in a blockbuster NBA trade that saw two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo leave the Milwaukee Bucks and land with the Miami Heat.
The trade, which went down Monday night, saw the Heat send Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis and three first-round picks, including the No. 13 overall pick, to the Bucks in exchange for Giannis and Bobby Portis.
Bobby Portis, who won an NBA championship with Giannis and the Bucks in 2021, was born in Little Rock and played his college ball for the Arkansas Razorbacks. He will now play a key role on a Heat team that has entered “win now” mode in dramatic fashion.
Can he help bring another championship to star-studded Miami? Only time will tell.
Going the other way is Kel’el Ware, a 7-foot center from North Little Rock who played his college ball for Oregon and Indiana. Ware was drafted by the Heat in 2024.
He now joins a Milwaukee Bucks team that is entering a massive rebuilding phase after losing their biggest star since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Ware should bring some height and size to a team that will be missing the 6′ 11″ “Greek Freak.”
Can he make an impact in Milwaukee? Can he cement himself as part of the team’s long term future? Again, only time will tell.
Its a big day for basketball in Arkansas, with Darius Acuff Jr. also expected to hear his name called in the first round of the NBA draft tonight. Stay tuned to KATV for more on that story.
