Tyler Herro’s start in Milwaukee has put the Bucks in a tricky spot before the season even gets rolling.
After the franchise-altering summer trade that sent Giannis Antetokounmpo out of Milwaukee, the Bucks brought back Herro as part of the return. Early on, he’s delivered the kind of production that turns heads: through four games in a Bucks uniform, he’s averaging 23.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists while shooting 46.6% from the field and 43.3% from three on 7.5 attempts per game.
On paper, that’s the kind of line that screams impact. It’s efficient, it’s versatile, and it checks just about every box a team wants from a high-level scorer.
The problem is that the Bucks aren’t exactly cashing in on it. Milwaukee is 1-3 through its first three games, which makes the conversation around Herro a little messier than the raw numbers suggest.
That’s where the financial issue comes in. Herro is on an expiring contract, and if he keeps stacking up numbers like this, he’s only making himself more expensive. The better he plays, the more leverage he builds heading into free agency, and the more likely it is that he’ll want a massive new deal this summer.
That puts Milwaukee in an uncomfortable position. Do they pay him like a major long-term piece?
Do they even want to? And if the price climbs too high, does the trade market become the more practical answer?
The bigger question is what Herro’s production really means in the long run. He can score, he can shoot, he can create for others and help on the glass.
But whether those numbers translate to winning at the highest level is another matter. The feeling here is that he profiles more naturally as a third option.
That’s exactly what makes this so complicated for the Bucks. If Herro keeps putting up this kind of stat line, he’s going to ask to be paid like more than that. And that may be a bill Milwaukee has no interest in paying.
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