​The trade between the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat was perhaps the least-surprising move of the NBA offseason, at least for the players involved. Giannis Antetokounmpo, clearly, had Miami on the list of destinations he would extend his contract with and the Heat had been aggressively pursuing him since at least the February trade deadline.Greenfield native Tyler Herro, who came to the Bucks in the deal, said he figured he would be traded this offseason. Echoing that statement were Kel’el Ware and Jaime Jaquez Jr., who joined Herro and Kasparas Jakučionis as the group of ex-Heat coming to Milwaukee.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“I kind of figured it was going to happen,” Ware told Miami-based media while in Las Vegas over the weekend of July 10-11. “So I [was] just preparing myself.”Added Jaquez: “I had a feeling. I knew that it was definitely a possibility that it was gonna happen.”Mar 12, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis (9) protects the basketball from Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. (11) during the second quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn ImagesThe two players had different feelings about leaving Miami, however. Ware, a 22-year-old center, chuckled when asked if he thought he got a fair shot in Miami under head coach Erik Spoelstra. Jaquez, 25, played 28 minutes per game last season and was the runner-up in the sixth man of the year voting.“It was definitely devastating for sure,” Jaquez said of his emotions upon hearing about the move. “I love Miami, I love the city. It really felt like home for me.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut Jaquez and Ware did want to look ahead to what’s next under new Bucks head coach Taylor Jenkins. For Ware, he admitted he was “without a doubt” excited for a fresh start in getting more minutes.“Obviously now, where I’m at now, it’s a young team and I’ll have more of a chance to flourish so I’m excited for that,” Ware said.Originally drafted by Miami in the first round of the 2024 draft at No. 15, Ware never gained a foothold in the starting lineup. He came off the bench in 71 of his 141 career games and averaged 22 minutes per game over his two seasons. His scoring (11.1 points) and rebounding (6.2 rebounds) improved in his second season but his minutes fluctuated wildly.MUST READ: How the Giannis Antetokounmpo era in Milwaukee came to a bitter endAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn the first 37 games of last season, the 7-foot Ware played 25 minutes per game and averaged 12.3 points and 10.6 rebounds while shooting 54.8% overall and 43% from behind the 3-point line, albeit on low volume (2.9 attempts per game). But over his final 40 games, he played just 19 minutes per game.Before the trade, Heat president Pat Riley had said he wanted to see Spoelstra play Ware and fellow big man Bam Adebayo more together. Ware joins a Bucks team that currently has 6-11 veteran Myles Turner at center.