Ryan Rollins is in position to force the Milwaukee Bucks into a real decision before Tyler Herro ever reaches free agency.
That’s the tension sitting in Milwaukee right now. The Bucks brought Herro in this summer as part of the massive Giannis Antetokounmpo trade with the Miami Heat, and on paper he looks like the kind of scorer who can sit comfortably as a second or third option.
But the price tag is the catch. Herro is already on a $33 million salary, and if his next deal looks anything like the one he’s chasing, Milwaukee may not want to wait around and find out.
Rollins, meanwhile, has turned himself into a much more interesting piece than anyone expected a year ago. Last season was his breakout, and even with the Bucks in rough shape, he stood out as a bright spot. He showed enough that there’s now a real conversation about whether he can be more than just a useful guard - maybe even a star, or at least a star role player.
The money makes the contrast even sharper. Rollins is set to make just $4 million this coming season, a bargain next to Herro’s number. That matters in a big way for a team trying to sort out its future roster without painting itself into a corner.
Herro has plenty going for him. He’s been a 20-point-per-game scorer when he’s at his best, and his playmaking has grown too. He’s also got the resume to ask for a big payday: an All-Star appearance and multiple trips to the NBA Finals.
Rollins will want his own payday eventually, but he hasn’t reached that stage yet. That gives Milwaukee some leverage if he keeps building on last year.
And that’s where the real question lands: can Rollins play well enough to make the Bucks consider moving Herro before the deadline this year? If he does, Milwaukee could avoid the complication of a bigger Herro extension next summer, keep Rollins in a lead-guard role, and maybe even bring back draft picks and other assets in a trade.
For the Bucks, that would mean flexibility. For Rollins, it would mean a chance to take over the spotlight in Milwaukee again.
In Other News...
Former Bucks Veteran Just Added To An Unwanted Debate Around Milwaukee
Danilo Gallinaris comments this week brought an old Bucks season back into view, and not in a flattering way. The veteran forward said he regretted choosing a one-year deal with Milwaukee for the 2023-24 campaign instead of taking a two-year offer from the Clippers, a choice that now sits alongside a Bucks season that never really found its footing and ended with an early playoff exit.
For Milwaukee, the remark is less about Gallinari himself than the broader conversation it revives around that roster and how quickly expectations can sour. He played in 20 games for the Bucks and has not been back in the NBA since, but his reflection adds another layer to a year the team would rather leave behind, especially when a former addition is openly wondering if a different path would have served him better. [Read more 🡒]
Kyle Kuzma Just Got The Chance Bucks Fans Have Waited For
Kyle Kuzma has spent much of his career as a power forward, but in Milwaukee hes often been asked to slide up and handle small forward duties. That kind of adjustment is part of life in the NBA, yet it also meant the Bucks never really got to see him in the spot that fits him best for a full run. With a new season approaching, the shape of the roster is giving him a cleaner path to do exactly that.
The departures of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis leave a different kind of frontcourt opening, and Kuzma is positioned to settle into a more natural role. Add in a new coach and a larger share of responsibility, and theres a real chance this becomes the setting where he looks more comfortable and more productive. For a team trying to rework its identity, getting Kuzma in the right place may end up mattering more than it first seemed. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Face A Myles Turner Dilemma That Could Change Everything
The Bucks went into this stretch hoping Myles Turner would give Giannis Antetokounmpo the kind of frontcourt help that can steady a contender, but the fit is no longer as simple as the signing looked at the time. Milwaukee has reportedly had a hard time finding trade interest, and the deeper issue is one every team eventually confronts when its roster starts to bend between two timelines: a veteran addition built for the present can look a little less natural when the rest of the group is getting younger around him.
Kelel Ware is part of why this conversation has turned so interesting. In theory, the pairing makes a lot of basketball sense, with Turners shooting and rim protection complementing Wares rebounding and size in a way that could let Milwaukee play more modern, perimeter-oriented lineups without giving up interior defense. The question is whether the Bucks want to keep chasing that kind of balance or keep searching for a cleaner path forward with a roster that now has to answer for both now and later. [Read more 🡒]