Tyler Herro Shuts Down Idea of Bucks Having a Rebuild Year

Shooting guard Tyler Herro was born in Milwaukee, and he wore No. 11 for his middle school team there long before the Milwaukee Bucks brought him home this summer.

He showed up to media day ready to push back on the idea that his first year back is a lost one.

Herro landed in Milwaukee in the trade that sent forward Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat.

The deal became official on July 6, and along with Herro, the Bucks got three other players, the No. 13 pick in the 2026 draft, two future first-round picks, a first-round pick swap and a second-round pick.

The Bucks went 32-50 last season, which ended a run of nine straight playoff trips, and they fired head coach Doc Rivers after the season.

With Antetokounmpo gone too, it is easy to see why most outsiders are calling this a rebuild, but Herro does not see it that way.

"Winning as many games as possible is how I approach the game, and I think that's how [coach] Taylor approaches the game [too]," Herro said at media day. "People try to write you off after a trade is made and people feel that you're not going to win games. I feel that's the opposite of what we're thinking."

Herro also said he does not have any individual goals and that his main goal is to help lead the team to as many wins as possible.

Co-owner Wes Edens said the Bucks see this as a building team and not a rebuilding team.

New head coach Taylor Jenkins, who was hired in April, has liked what he has seen in camp so far.

Bleacher Report predicted an 18-64 season for Milwaukee in August and listed an over-under of 26.5 wins, so Herro has a lot to prove.

Herro averaged 20.5 points per game in 33 games for Miami last season and shot 37.8 percent from three, and he has averaged more than 20 points per game in five of his seven NBA seasons.

The catch is his health, since he had surgery on his left ankle and foot in September 2025 and missed 49 games last season.

Herro is set to make $33 million in the final year of his deal, and he could become an unrestricted free agent next summer if he does not sign an extension.

With the ball in his hands every night, I can see him being in for a career year.

Guard Kevin Porter Jr. averaged 17.4 points in 38 games last season, guard Ryan Rollins put up 17.3 points in 74 games, and center Myles Turner says he is ready to move forward with this group.

If Herro stays on the floor, I think this team clears 26.5 wins.

The Bucks open the preseason on Monday, Oct. 5, when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves at Fiserv Forum.

The regular season begins Wednesday, Oct. 21, at Washington, and the home opener is Friday, Oct. 23, against the Chicago Bulls.

Monday is his first chance to prove the doubters wrong in front of a hometown crowd.