Giannis traded to Miami and NBA Draft goes as expected

**Shaun Holkko** (0:31)
I'm doing another week, another episode. This is Stats Over Politics. As always, I'm your host, Shaun Holkko, alongside my guy, Mr. Kevin Dent. Mr. Jaevon Totty will be unable to join us tonight as he is handling Codfather duties, but the show must go on. As Kevin likes to say, we gotta bring you guys that content, and we are bringing you some content right now. On a Tuesday night, June 23rd, 2026, that is piping hot. It's scolding. The first night of the NBA Draft is still going on right now, as we speak, but we got through the meat of it. We know what you guys want to hear us talk about. So here we are to give you that piping hot content. Kevin Dent, how are we doing today?

**Kevin Dent** (1:11)
You know, man, it's another draft where I walk away just saying, damn Sacramento, damn. Shaun and I were talking about it before the show. I'm sure we'll get into it. We both differ. All thoughts, I've been seeing a lot of things on Instagram, a lot of things on Twitter. Everyone's screaming from the rooftops, but I'm gonna give you what I honestly feel. So I'm excited to kind of talk about it. I've been screaming Darren Peterson, number one, and unfortunately I was wrong on that.
So as Totty said, the group chat needs a new photo. It was Darren Peterson in a King's Jersey.
So, you know, this great day, can't complain. Like Shaun said, the draft is still going on. Totty's team just picked up Chris Sinac Jr., the center. That was a huge pick for them. So we got three picks left. So got a lot of good talent on it, and it's gonna be a loaded second round for a lot of these guys fall.

**Shaun Holkko** (1:59)
Yeah, if anything, the group chat picture should have changed about a month ago once the NBA Draft Lottery was set. I believe that was our Mother's Day that the NBA Draft Lottery happened. And so we kind of let Kev and his delusion ride high for a little bit. The delusion even carried into today when Kevin said, man, if DP dropped out the top three, we gotta make a move. We gotta go get him. It's like, in what world is he gonna fall out of the top two, let alone the King's skyrocket into the top three to go and get Darren Peterson. But we'll get to that in a little bit. And we will also get to, as you see me wearing my Sacramento Kings merch, I'm actually wearing Damanta Sabonis number 10 Sacramento Kings jersey today that quickly became ancient because I bought it, I think in the 23, 24 season. And then that summer is when the King signed Demar DeRozan and Demar DeRozan became number 10 and then Sabonis became number 11 And so not because of that, but I actually haven't worn this jersey that often. And so I thought like, you know what, fuck it, might as well. Who knows if you want to?
Yeah, right. And like, who knows if Demar DeRozan is even a Sacramento King by the time that the season starts. And I definitely prefer to wear Kings jerseys that are current players more often than players of the past, unless it's maybe like a DeRozan Fox or Demarcus Cousins. Nevertheless, I'm rocking my Sacramento Kings gear today because as Stats Over Politics 34 says on YouTube, we're gonna be getting to that in a little bit. But the only thing that would supersede us talking about the NBA Draft first round, the night that it happens is what happened last night. And rumors were circulating for so long and basically for the last calendar year that Giannis Antetokounmpo said, I no longer want to be a Milwaukee buck and it's time for me to move on. It's time for all of us to move on. And it took about a year for it to finally come to fruition. We ended up having a final two teams between the Miami Heat and Totty's Boston Celtics, which, oh boy, that would have gotten really interesting if Giannis ended up becoming a Celtic. And we're going to get to all the details of that in a moment.
But officially, the trade that went down last night at about 850 Pacific time was a blockbuster, as Shams put it. The Milwaukee Bucks are trading franchise icon Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis, the Miami Heat for Tyler Hero, who is a Wisconsin native, so that's cool. Kaleo Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Casperas Jacuchillones, I should have tried to practice saying his name before I got on live. Three first round picks, including number 13, which we just saw, one pick swap and one second round pick. And as Shams continued to note, the Heat are sending Milwaukee unprotected first rounders in 2031 and 33, along with 13 that we just saw tonight, a pick swap in 2030 and a 2033 second round pick. The trade does not include any additional teams. It's one to one, but the Heat and the Bucs both have time up until July 6th to rework the framework of the deal if more opportunities come about.