Miami Heat
NBA franchise that acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Bucks in July 2026
- Entries
- 28
- On the record
- 18
- Stories
- 1
- Latest entry
- Jul 6, 2026
The record
- $25,000fine on team president Pat Riley under the NBA anti-tampering rule, June 9, 2021
- 1second-round draft pick forfeited for early free-agency talks over Kyle Lowry, December 1, 2021
- 3team suspensions of Jimmy Butler in January 2025 before he was traded to Golden State
- 3first-round picks sent to Milwaukee with four players for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis
The Miami Heat were penalized by the National Basketball Association for tampering twice in 2021. On June 9 the league fined team president Pat Riley $25,000 under its anti-tampering rule over remarks about the Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James in a June 4 radio interview. On December 1 it took the club's next available second-round pick after finding that the Heat had discussed free agency involving Kyle Lowry before the permitted date. The club has also been fined $15,000 over a Jimmy Butler gesture in the 2022 playoffs, $25,000 for bench decorum in the 2022 Eastern Conference finals, and $25,000 twice, in December 2022 and January 2023, for breaking injury-reporting rules. Players have drawn league fines and suspensions of their own, including a three-game suspension for Thomas Bryant and one game each for Butler and Nikola Jović after a February 2024 fight in New Orleans.
In January 2025 the Heat suspended Butler three times: seven games for conduct detrimental to the team, two games after he missed the team flight to Milwaukee, and an unpaid indefinite suspension after he walked out of a shootaround on January 27. The players' union said it would file a grievance over the first one. Miami traded him to the Golden State Warriors on February 6, 2025 in a five-team deal. Guard Terry Rozier was arrested on October 23, 2025 on federal wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges in an NBA betting case about a 2023 game he played for the Charlotte Hornets. The NBA placed him on leave, he pleaded not guilty, and Miami waived him on April 10, 2026. A superseding indictment in May 2026 added bribery counts; his trial is set for February 8, 2027.
On July 6, 2026 the Heat completed a trade for two-time Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis, sending Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakučionis, the No. 13 pick in the 2026 draft, 2031 and 2033 first-round picks, a 2030 pick swap and a 2033 second-round pick to Milwaukee. Off the court, a federal judge sentenced former Heat security officer Marcos Thomas Perez in January 2026 to three years in prison for selling memorabilia stolen from a team equipment room, and a bankruptcy judge ended the arena's 19-year, $135 million naming-rights deal with FTX on January 11, 2023. A January 2025 civil suit accusing Conor McGregor of sexual assault at a 2023 Finals game first named the Heat and the arena operator over alcohol service; both were dropped from it by an amended complaint dated January 28, 2025.
Questions people ask
Were the Miami Heat punished for tampering?
Yes. On December 1, 2021 the NBA ordered the Heat to forfeit their next available second-round pick for breaking league rules on the timing of free-agency discussions, in the acquisition of Kyle Lowry. The league announced no fine on the club. source
Why was Pat Riley fined?
The NBA fined the Heat president $25,000 on June 9, 2021 for violating its anti-tampering rule with comments about the Lakers' LeBron James in a radio interview on June 4, 2021. source
Why did the Heat suspend Jimmy Butler?
Miami suspended him three times in January 2025: seven games for conduct detrimental to the team, two games for missing a team flight and then indefinitely after he left a shootaround early. The seven-game suspension alone cost him more than $2 million in salary. He was traded to Golden State on February 6, 2025. source
What happened to Terry Rozier at the Heat?
Rozier was away from the team from his arrest on October 23, 2025 in a federal illegal sports betting investigation, and the NBA placed him on leave. He pleaded not guilty to wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges, and the Heat waived him on April 10, 2026, in the final season of a four-year, $97 million contract paying him $26.6 million. source
What did the Heat give up for Giannis Antetokounmpo?
Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakučionis, the No. 13 pick in the 2026 draft, first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2030 first-round pick swap and a 2033 second-round pick. Miami also received Bobby Portis. The trade became official on July 6, 2026. source
Who stole Miami Heat memorabilia?
Marcos Thomas Perez, a former Heat security officer and retired Miami police officer, took more than 400 jerseys and other items from a secured equipment room set aside for a future team museum. He pleaded guilty in August 2025 to transporting and transferring stolen goods in interstate commerce and was sentenced in January 2026 to three years in federal prison and nearly $1.9 million in restitution. source
Roles and honours on the record
- 2021 Club stripped of its next second-round pick for early free-agency talks in the Kyle Lowry acquisition source
- 2021-2023 Tenant of the county arena whose 19-year FTX naming-rights deal was terminated in bankruptcy court source
- 2025 Club that suspended Jimmy Butler three times and traded him to the Golden State Warriors source
- 2025-2026 Employer of Terry Rozier from his October 2025 arrest until he was waived on April 10, 2026 source
- 2026- Club of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis, acquired from the Milwaukee Bucks source
Every entry, newest first
- Reported
Acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks in a trade, per NBA.com. Doc Rivers apologized to Giannis by text, ESPN's Spears says
Stories in this file
The record, entry by entry
League fines and tampering penalties
- 2021-06-09 Ruled The NBA fined team president Pat Riley $25,000 for violating its anti-tampering rule with remarks about the Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James during a June 4 radio interview. NBA official release
- 2021-12-01 Ruled The NBA ordered the Heat to forfeit their next available second-round pick for violating league rules on the timing of free-agency discussions in the acquisition of Kyle Lowry. The Chicago Bulls received the same penalty over Lonzo Ball. NBA Communications release
- 2022-04-28 Ruled The league fined the Heat and Jimmy Butler $15,000 each for what it called an obscene gesture by Butler on the sideline during the Game 5 win that closed out the first-round series against Atlanta, and fined Markieff Morris $25,000 for interfering with live play from the bench. ESPN report
- 2022-05-28 Ruled The NBA fined the Heat $25,000 for violating bench decorum rules in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals at Boston on May 27, when several players stood for long stretches, stood away from the bench and stepped onto the court during live play. NBA Communications release
- 2022-12-16 Ruled The NBA fined the Heat $25,000 for violating injury reporting rules by not accurately disclosing the game availability of several players before the December 14 game at Oklahoma City. NBA Communications release
- 2023-01-28 Ruled The NBA again fined the Heat $25,000, this time for failing to comply with league policies governing injury reporting. NBA Communications release
- 2023-05-23 Ruled The league fined Jimmy Butler $25,000 for failing to take part in required media availability around Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals on May 21. NBA Communications release
- 2025-03-08 Ruled The league fined Bam Adebayo $50,000 for inappropriate physical contact with a game official and profanity toward the official after Miami's 106-104 loss to Minnesota on March 7. NBA Communications release
- 2026-02-23 Ruled The league fined Heat forward Myron Gardner and Memphis guard Scotty Pippen Jr. $35,000 each for an altercation late in Miami's 136-120 win on February 21, which the league said Gardner started by bumping Pippen from behind. Both were ejected. NBA Communications release
Player suspensions and the Jimmy Butler exit
- 2021-11-09 Ruled After a fight in the Heat's 113-96 loss at Denver on November 8, the league fined Markieff Morris $50,000 for the Flagrant Foul 2 on Nikola Jokić that started it, and Jimmy Butler $30,000 for trying to escalate the altercation and for not complying with an NBA Security interview. Jokić was suspended one game. NBA Communications release
- 2024-02-25 Ruled After a fight in Miami's 106-95 win at New Orleans on February 23, the NBA suspended Thomas Bryant three games for leaving the bench and fighting, Jimmy Butler one game for instigating and engaging in the altercation, and Nikola Jović one game for leaving the bench, all without pay. NBA announcement on NBA.com
- 2025-01-03 Official The Heat suspended Butler for seven games, saying that through his actions and statements he had shown he no longer wanted to be part of the team, and said they would listen to trade offers. The players' union called the suspension excessive and said it would file a grievance. NBC News report
- 2025-01-22 Official The Heat suspended Butler two more games, citing a continued pattern of disregard of team rules, insubordinate conduct and conduct detrimental to the team, including missing the team flight to Milwaukee. Associated Press report
- 2025-01-27 Official The Heat suspended Butler indefinitely without pay, for at least five games, after he left the morning shootaround early, citing intentionally withholding services. The AP reported he had lost at least $3 million in salary since mid-December. Associated Press report on NBA.com
- 2025-02-06 Official Miami traded Butler to Golden State in a five-team deal, receiving Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, Davion Mitchell and a protected 2025 first-round pick. Butler declined his 2025-26 player option for a two-year extension with the Warriors. NBA.com report
Terry Rozier and the federal betting case
- 2025-10-23 Filed Terry Rozier was arrested at a hotel in Orlando when federal prosecutors in Brooklyn unsealed an indictment charging him with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy over the alleged sale of non-public NBA information for bets. The NBA placed him on immediate leave. His lawyer said he looked forward to winning the fight. ESPN report
- 2026-03-09 Official The Charlotte Hornets agreed to give Miami a 2026 second-round pick to settle a dispute over the trade that sent Rozier to the Heat, which had not known of the federal investigation when it made the deal. Associated Press report on NBA.com
- 2026-04-10 Reported The Heat waived Rozier, who had pleaded not guilty and had been away from the team since his arrest. He was in the final season of a four-year, $97 million contract, paid $26.6 million that season. ESPN report
- 2026-05-28 Filed A superseding indictment charged Rozier with bribery in sporting contests and honest services wire fraud conspiracy, alleging he defrauded the NBA and the Hornets as well as sportsbooks. Associated Press report via WTOP
- 2026-06-10 Reported Rozier pleaded not guilty to the new charges, and his trial was set for February 8, 2027. ESPN report
Criminal and civil cases off the court
- 2023-01-11 Ruled U.S. Bankruptcy Judge John T. Dorsey terminated the arena naming-rights agreement between FTX and Miami-Dade County, a 19-year, $135 million deal under which the Heat received $2 million a year. The county had asked for termination in November 2022 after the crypto exchange collapsed. CBS News report
- 2025-01 Filed A woman filed a federal civil suit in Florida accusing Conor McGregor of sexual assault at a 2023 NBA Finals game in Miami, initially naming the Heat and arena operator Basketball Properties LLC as defendants over alcohol service. An amended complaint dated January 28 dropped both, saying claims against them would be pursued in state court. She voluntarily dismissed the suit against McGregor with prejudice in December 2025. Front Office Sports report
- 2025-08 Filed The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida charged former Heat security officer Marcos Thomas Perez with transporting and transferring stolen goods in interstate commerce, over game-worn jerseys and memorabilia taken from a secured team equipment room and sold to online brokers. U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida
- 2025-08-19 Admitted Perez pleaded guilty. Prosecutors said he took more than 400 items, sold over 100 of them for about $1.9 million, including a LeBron James Finals jersey later auctioned for $3.7 million, and that about 300 more were recovered in an April search. CBS News Miami report
- 2026-01 Ruled A federal judge sentenced Perez to three years in prison and ordered nearly $1.9 million in restitution. Associated Press report on ESPN
The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade
- 2026-06-23 Reported ESPN reported the agreed terms of a trade sending Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to Miami. Yahoo Sports reported that Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam preferred the Heat's offer to a Boston package built around Jaylen Brown. Yahoo Sports report
- 2026-07-06 Official The trade became official: Miami received Antetokounmpo and Portis, and Milwaukee received Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakučionis, the No. 13 pick in the 2026 draft, 2031 and 2033 first-round picks, a 2030 first-round pick swap and a 2033 second-round pick. NBA.com report
Documents
- NBA release: penalties on the Bulls and Heat for early free-agency discussions (Dec. 1, 2021)
- NBA release: Pat Riley fined for violating the anti-tampering rule (June 9, 2021)
- NBA release: Heat fined for injury reporting violations (Dec. 16, 2022)
- NBA announcement: suspensions from the Heat-Pelicans game (Feb. 25, 2024)
- Indictment, United States v. Earnest et al., No. 25-cr-323 (E.D.N.Y.), filed Oct. 16, 2025
- U.S. Attorney's Office release: former Heat security employee charged with selling stolen memorabilia (Aug. 2025)
- U.S. Attorney's Office release: former Heat security employee sentenced and ordered to pay nearly $1.9 million (Jan. 2026)
- NBA.com on the Heat's trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo (July 6, 2026)