The Milwaukee Bucks may have once been viewed as a team that could turn Tyler Herro into extra assets by sending him to Detroit. That chatter has faded, and it probably should stay buried. The real story now is that Milwaukee looks far more interested in building around Herro than moving him out.
Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes recently revived the idea of a Herro-to-Pistons deal, but the Bucks’ direction points elsewhere. This is not a team that should be thinking about tearing things down.
Milwaukee does not own its pick next season, which makes a tank job basically pointless. Trading away its best pieces would only strip away talent without delivering the usual payoff that comes with a bad record.
Instead, the Bucks seem intent on pushing for at least the Play-In and proving the doubters wrong. Their rumored interest in Jalen Duren, first reported by The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Hunter Patterson, only adds to that picture.
If Milwaukee really is prepared to spend $200 million or more on Duren and send out valuable assets like young players or picks, that says plenty about the organization’s mindset. The Bucks are not acting like a team ready to settle. They are acting like a team trying to find another star.
That approach fits with the way General Manager Jon Horst has operated for years. He has consistently tried to keep Milwaukee in contention, and that aggressive streak does not seem to have disappeared. If Horst can land Duren from Detroit, the Bucks could suddenly have an All-Star duo in Herro and Duren, giving them at least a real shot to make some noise next season.
There are fair questions about whether chasing Duren is the right move, just as there are questions about keeping Herro. But the Bucks should not be criticized for trying to win, especially with no incentive to bottom out next summer. A roster built around Duren, Herro, a solid supporting cast, and an excellent head coach in Taylor Jenkins would at least make Milwaukee interesting in a post-Giannis Antetokounmpo world.
What would not work nearly as well is dealing Herro for role players and what would likely be a mid-round pick at best. That version of the Bucks would be a lot easier to ignore.
In Other News...
Draymond Green Just Turned Bucks Anxiety Into A Bigger Debate
Draymond Green has a way of turning one teams uncomfortable week into a league-wide conversation, and the Bucks found themselves in that spot after he weighed in on two separate podcast episodes. One topic was Tyler Herros photoshoot tribute to T.J. Ford, which Green criticized, and the other was the NBAs investigation into Milwaukee over possible salary cap circumvention involving Gary Trent Jr. Together, the remarks added another layer of scrutiny to a franchise already drawing attention for reasons it would rather keep quiet.
Green also spent time talking through what the league could do if the Bucks are found guilty, raising the stakes around a probe that is still hanging over the organization. His comments quickly became a point of debate for fans and former players alike, with the photoshoot criticism and the investigation both feeding a broader argument about how Milwaukee is being viewed right now. For a team trying to stay focused on basketball, the noise around it does not seem likely to fade soon. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Suddenly Have A Real Shot In Jalen Duren Drama
Jalen Durens contract situation in Detroit has become one of the more intriguing items on the NBA radar, and the Bucks are among the teams watching closely. The Pistons put a massive offer on the table, but Duren declined it, and theres now a looming deadline tied to a qualifying offer that could shape his next move. What made the whole thing even more notable was the inclusion of a weight clause in Detroits proposal, a detail that reportedly caught Duren and his camp off guard.
For Milwaukee, the appeal is obvious. The Bucks have shown interest, and any real opening around a young center with upside is worth monitoring, especially when the players current team is dealing with internal debate about his value. Whether Detroit can repair the relationship, or whether Duren decides his best path lies elsewhere, should come into focus soon, and the Bucks will be waiting to see how much of a shot this really becomes. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Are Treating Taylor Jenkins Like Far More Than A New Coach
The Bucks did not just swap out a coach this offseason, they made a point of signaling a broader change in tone. Taylor Jenkins arrived on a long-term deal after Milwaukee moved on from Doc Rivers, and the early messaging around him has been as much about setting a standard as it has been about drawing up plays. Co-owner Wes Edens offered pointed backing for Jenkins, leaning on the success he had in Memphis and framing the hire as a serious investment in where the franchise is headed.
At media day, the emphasis around Jenkins kept coming back to accountability and growth, the kind of language teams usually use when they want to show a clean break from the previous chapter. For Milwaukee, the appeal seems to be bigger than a fresh voice on the sideline. Jenkins is being positioned as someone who can shape the day-to-day culture, steady the locker room and push the group toward a higher level, which makes his first season here feel like more than a standard coaching change. [Read more 🡒]