For nearly a decade, Giannis Antetokounmpo was Milwaukee’s whole identity. The awards piled up, the Bucks got their title, and year after year the franchise could at least talk itself into a real run. That era is over now.
This offseason brought the move that reshaped everything: Antetokounmpo was traded to the Miami Heat, and the Bucks were left to start over. Miami celebrated getting a two-time MVP to team with Bam Adebayo and Erik Spoelstra. Milwaukee, meanwhile, had to face the hard truth that the roster no longer has a superstar centerpiece.
The return gave the Bucks four players and draft capital, a package meant to help launch what could be a long rebuild. Plenty of people around the league thought Milwaukee should have gotten more, maybe even a top-tier player. Whether the front office got the right haul is still up for debate, but one name in the deal stands out as the player the Bucks believe can help steer the next phase: Tyler Herro.
Herro is coming back to his hometown and is set to take on a massive role in Milwaukee. The former All-Star and Sixth Man of the Year will be the team’s most polished scorer, and the Bucks will need that shot-making in a hurry. Over the last five seasons, he averaged 21.4 points per game while shooting over 45.5% from the field and 38.4% from 3-point range.
That kind of production matters even more because Milwaukee has already been stamped by many outlets as one of the league’s worst teams. If the Bucks are going to change that conversation, Herro has to be central to it.
The problem is that the job description in Milwaukee is a lot heavier than the one he had in Miami. With the Heat, he had support around him from players like Adebayo and Jimmy Butler. Now he’s the No. 1 option, and that means the pressure lands squarely on him.
Availability will be the first test. Outside of the 2024-25 season, Herro has never played 70 games in a year, and this past season he appeared in only 33. If he’s not on the floor, the Bucks don’t have much of a path to meaningful basketball.
And if he is on the floor, he has to keep scoring efficiently while carrying the main offensive load. Milwaukee needs him to show that he can still perform like an All-Star after spending so many nights as the second or third option in Miami. The Bucks also need him to hold up defensively and avoid becoming an easy target the way he sometimes was with the Heat.
He’s not a young prospect anymore. Herro has been in the league for seven seasons, and the expectations now are much different. The safety net is gone, and with this being a contract year, the burden is simple: prove he can lead.
In Other News...
Myles Turner Just Gave Bucks Fans Another Reason To Believe
Myles Turner is already giving Bucks fans something to appreciate beyond his fit on the floor. The Milwaukee center, a Bedford, Texas native, has pledged $2 million over 20 years to the Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School Districts athletic department, another sign that his off-court presence is matching the steady, professional image he has carried throughout his basketball career. For a team trying to build both credibility and continuity, those kinds of commitments matter.
Turners latest pledge comes on the heels of a separate $1 million donation to the nonprofit Empowering the Masses through his W.A.R.M. Foundation, reinforcing that his community work is not a one-off gesture. The Bucks have plenty of reasons to value what he brings on the court, but this is the sort of broader influence that can resonate with a fan base looking for players who invest in more than wins and losses. [Read more 🡒]
Myles Turner Now Carries A Burden Bucks Fans Can't Ignore
Myles Turner is stepping into a very different Milwaukee landscape as he prepares for his second season with the Bucks. With Giannis Antetokounmpo gone and the team moving into a retooling phase under new coaching, Turner is suddenly more than just a frontcourt piece. He is one of the players the organization will lean on most, both for production and for the steadying presence that can matter when a team is trying to define itself again.
For Bucks fans, the burden is obvious because the margin for error is thinner now, and Turners role is expected to grow with it. After a challenging previous season, the question is not just whether he can handle the added responsibility, but whether he can help point Milwaukee toward a better future while the roster and identity around him continue to change. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Early Start Could Decide Jon Horst's Biggest Deadline Move
The Bucks entered the season with a notable tool in hand after the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, landing a $25.5 million trade exception that could give Jon Horst real flexibility later in the year. It is the kind of asset that can quietly shape a season from the margins, especially for a team trying to stay positioned to improve without boxing itself into a move too soon.
Milwaukee's early results may end up steering how aggressively that exception is used before the deadline. If the Bucks get off to a strong enough start, the front office could use it to chase roster help and strengthen the rotation for the stretch run, while a slower opening could push the team toward treating it more like a way to gather future assets if the postseason picture starts to fade. [Read more 🡒]