ESPN’s ranking leaves Tyler Herro as Milwaukee’s lone top-100 player entering its first season without Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Tyler Herro is the Milwaukee Bucks’ only player in ESPN’s top 100 entering the 2026-27 season, a sharp illustration of how much the franchise has changed since trading Giannis Antetokounmpo.
ESPN placed Herro at No. 71, three spots below his ranking a year ago. Antetokounmpo, now with the Miami Heat, is No. 5. The rankings project each player’s contribution for the upcoming regular season; they are an assessment by ESPN’s seven-person panel, not a measure of everything the Bucks received in the trade.
Still, the count is striking. Milwaukee spent years entering seasons with a former MVP capable of carrying its offense. Now its highest-ranked player is a guard taking on a larger job with a rebuilding team.
Herro gets the offense
Herro arrived from Miami in the deal that sent Antetokounmpo to the Heat. A 2025 All-Star, he developed from a sixth man into a lead offensive creator during seven seasons with Miami. ESPN expects him to have considerable freedom to score for his hometown team.
That opportunity brings a demanding assignment. Defenses can devote more attention to Herro without Antetokounmpo drawing multiple players into the paint. Milwaukee needs him to create shots for himself while helping its younger players find reliable looks.
Herro has shown he can produce offense in difficult situations. ESPN cited GeniusIQ data showing he ranked second in points per direct isolation last season among players with at least 100 such possessions, behind only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The question for Milwaukee is how often he can turn that individual scoring into efficient team offense.
Milwaukee’s bigger test
The Bucks received Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis and draft assets in the Antetokounmpo trade. Those additions give them several players to develop and evaluate, even if ESPN’s current ranking places only Herro among its top 100. Milwaukee also entered the offseason after a 32-50 season, making the transition larger than a simple change of leading scorer.
New coach Taylor Jenkins must determine which combinations can defend consistently and who can ease Herro’s playmaking burden. Ware’s development in the frontcourt and the progress of Milwaukee’s young guards will matter more to the team’s long-term direction than a preseason ranking.
The list does, however, set a clear baseline. Antetokounmpo was one of the league’s most productive players throughout his Bucks career. Herro can give Milwaukee dependable scoring, but replacing everything Antetokounmpo supplied will take contributions from across the roster.
If multiple Bucks players outperform their projections, this ranking will look outdated quickly. For now, it captures the challenge awaiting Milwaukee: building a new identity around Herro while finding out which younger players can become lasting parts of it.
