Antetokounmpo to return to Milwaukee in Heat jersey Jan. 28

Giannis Antetokounmpo is set to make his highly anticipated return to Milwaukee, but this time in a Miami Heat jersey, on January 28. The NBA unveiled its official schedule on August 13, highlighting this and other significant player movements.

Antetokounmpo left the Bucks, the team that drafted him in 2013, to join the Heat this summer, believing his chances of winning a second career championship are higher in Miami. Before his return to Milwaukee as an opponent, he will face his former team on November 18 in Miami. That game will also mark the return of Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, and Jaime Jáquez Jr. to their old stomping grounds, as they were part of the trade package that brought the Greek superstar to Miami.

Other notable player returns include Jaylen Brown, now with the Philadelphia 76ers, who will play in Boston against the Celtics on January 21. LaMelo Ball, currently with the Minnesota Timberwolves, is scheduled to play in Charlotte against the Hornets on February 15. Trae Young, traded to the Washington Wizards last year but sidelined by injury, will return to Atlanta on November 6.

The schedule also includes LeBron James's return to Los Angeles to face the Lakers on Christmas Day, as previously announced. On the same day, the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks will reignite their rivalry in a rematch of the recent playoffs at Madison Square Garden. The highly anticipated series between the Spurs' Victor Wembanyama and the Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will feature three matchups: October 20, February 11, and March 14. The 2026-27 regular season kicks off on October 20 and concludes on April 11, 2027, with the All-Star festivities taking place in Phoenix from February 19-21.