NBA schedule release day gave Milwaukee Bucks fans exactly the kind of matchup they were hunting for, and the November trip to Miami looks like the one that could carry the most bite.
Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn’t return to Wisconsin until January, but the Bucks will be in Florida before that, and Tyler Herro will get his first shot at answering back against former teammate Bam Adebayo. That alone gives the game plenty of juice. Add in the fact that Giannis will be making his first-ever game against the Bucks, and the heat gets turned up even more.
The Herro-Adebayo angle already comes with some real tension. Their recent physical altercation during Summer League only adds another layer, especially with allegations that Herro had been critical of Adebayo’s play while they were together in Miami.
Herro, for his part, also made it clear during his time with the Heat that he was tired of hearing his name come up in trade rumors as Miami looked for ways to upgrade the roster. Now he’s back in his home state of Wisconsin, and the chip on his shoulder should be obvious.
This isn’t just about one grudge match, either. Milwaukee has only two nationally televised games all season, and both are against the Heat.
That makes every twist in this matchup feel magnified. Herro has a point to make against his old team and Adebayo.
Kel’el Ware has his own quarrels with the Heat. Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Herro are both playing for extensions, which only sharpens the stakes when they’re on a stage like this.
The Bucks will have their own feelings wrapped into it as well. Myles Turner’s comments on Giannis, plus the way the uncertainty around the two-time MVP clearly affected players, are part of the backdrop for that first meeting.
Giannis is expected to be fired up, but so are some of the returning Bucks after the way last season unfolded. There weren’t many positives to pull from that year, and now a lot of these players get a clean slate with the noise gone and the pressure shifted elsewhere.
Turner has something to prove. Kyle Kuzma is in the final year of his contract. And beyond those two, there are still plenty of layers under the bigger umbrella of Giannis vs. the Bucks in these games.
The rivalry that flared in the Bubble and stretched through 2021 and 2023 had cooled off some, but this season feels like it could bring it roaring back. Herro gets the chance to show Miami it was wrong about him, and he also gets that first crack at Bam Adebayo.
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Warriors Trade Idea Would Give Steph Curry The Help He Still Needs
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For Milwaukee, the appeal would be obvious: a move of that size would bring in talent the front office could plug around its core, but it would also mean giving up a group that includes Tyler Herro, Myles Turner, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kevin Porter Jr. The proposal is still just that, a proposal, and the real interest for Bucks fans is how a deal like this would balance present-day urgency against the cost of stripping away so much depth and flexibility. [Read more 🡒]