Despite officially being acquired by the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday, Tyler Herro's name has already been in the rumor mill for a few weeks. The Bucks have listened to offers to flip the guard to another team for more assets, but they could very well keep him. If they want to make it clear how strongly they feel about him, they could throw an extension on the table.
Herro extension is one question mark for Bucks
If the Milwaukee Bucks do indeed keep Herro on the payroll, they have a massive decision to make on his immediate future. He is making $33 million this coming year and is set to hit free agency as soon as the NBA season ends. Do the Bucks let him play out this season on an expiring contract and risk losing him for nothing, or lock him up now and not worry about it? That's the million-dollar question.
It all depends how strongly the Milwaukee Bucks feel like he can contribute to this upcoming era.
Perhaps the Bucks envision Herro, who could very well be Milwaukee's top option this coming year, taking a sizeable leap after often being a complementary piece in Miami. If they lock him up now and he performs at a career level, the Bucks will look awfully smart for signing him when they did, keeping a key piece in town and potentially saving them from a headache next summer.
There is also a scenario where the Bucks aren't sure that Tyler Herro fits into their new youth-driven timeline. Turning 27 soon, perhaps they will look to keep him on that expiring and flip him at the NBA Trade Deadline for more assets to assist the rebuild. If they were to sign him now, that would make it tougher to move him.
The likely Herro route for the Milwaukee Bucks
Even if they like Herro, it would be surprising if the Milwaukee Bucks extended him right now. As they navigate uncharted waters after trading Giannis Antetokounmpo, they will likely look to have as much flexibility as possible. Keeping Tyler Herro on an expiring deal and seeing how things play out gives them the best chance of doing so.
If this scenario plays out and the team does indeed want Herro around for the long term, they could always come to terms next summer. Of course, they might end up paying a bit more, but it could very well be worth it if it preserves flexibility right now. Milwaukee doesn't have to rush anything in this new era of basketball.
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