When the Milwaukee Bucks first acquired Tyler Herro, there was chatter that maybe they could flip him to the Detroit Pistons to collect assets. That idea quieted down in recent weeks, but Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes recently brought it back with a proposed trade. Yet, Milwaukee should move past trying to trade Herro now and instead focus on getting him help... from Detroit.
Bucks aren't rebuilding; they want to win
The Milwaukee Bucks do not have their pick next season, so it makes little to no sense for them to trade away their best players and tank. While the assets they'd get from other teams might be nice, they would not reap the rewards that often come with a poor record. Instead, it looks like the Bucks want to make a push for at least the Play-In and silence all of their doubters.
Their recent rumored interest in Jalen Duren, which first surfaced thanks to The Athletic's Sam Amick and Hunter Patterson (subscription required), only reinforced that idea.
If the Milwaukee Bucks are truly interested in dishing out $200 million or more to Duren and trading away valuable assets, such as young players or picks, no one can question their desire to contend. While no one figured the team would lie down and embrace mediocrity after Giannis Antetokounmpo left, trying to find another star in his place so soon did come as somewhat of a surprise.
Bucks forming an All-Star duo would be on brand
For years, General Manager Jon Horst did everything in his power to make sure the Bucks were in a spot to contend. Even without the Greek Freak, it appears he will remain aggressive in that regard. If he can pry Duren from Detroit, he could have an All-Star duo on his hands in Herro and Duren, giving this team at least a puncher's chance to make some noise next season.
One can argue whether or not chasing Duren is wise. Ditto for keeping Herro. Yet, no one should fault the Milwaukee Bucks for wanting to contend, especially when they don't own their pick next summer. Duren, Herro, a nice-looking supporting cast, and an excellent head coach in Taylor Jenkins could be the start of something at least interesting in a post-Giannis Antetokounmpo world.
If the Bucks were to trade Herro for role players and what would likely be a mid-round pick at best, things get far less interesting.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
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