Before ever playing a game for the Milwaukee Bucks, both Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr. could be in line for new contracts from the team that just traded for them.
During his annual Summer League Notebook piece for Spotrac, NBA salary cap expert Keith Smith shared the following comments from an anonymous Milwaukee Bucks executive:
"We’d love to get something done, provided it makes sense for both Tyler and us. For Jaime, it’s the same thing. He’s in a different spot because of restricted free agency. But, in an ideal world, you get those things taken care of now. That way everyone can just play the season without the future weighing on them.”
Although it might not seem like such a big deal from the outset, this gives fans and analysts a clear view into how Milwaukee is operating from both a business and roster-building perspective.
The Bucks feel like the talent evaluation stage for these players is already complete. They've probably had scouts looking at both Herro and Jaquez for a long time, knowing very well that Miami was a legitimate factor in the looming Giannis Antetokounmpo trade talks.
So it seems as if that process gave them enough confidence to pursue contract extensions before the start of the season, likely in hopes of gaining value on these deals before they blossom with increased opportunity in Milwaukee. But what does it mean for how this roster will actually shape out this season?
The Milwaukee Bucks are operating as if Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr. are two of their pillars for this new era.
This shouldn't come as much of a surprise in Herro's case. No pun intended, but the hometown hero narrative is too strong to overlook for a small-market franchise like the Bucks. Herro grew up roughly 20 minutes outside of Downtown Milwaukee in the Greenfield area and is already amped up to represent the team he grew up rooting for.
Milwaukee needs to give fans a reason to show up, buy tickets, and continue supporting this team — especially after the misery they endured through the Giannis trade saga and a disappointing 2025-26 season in which they finished 11th in an Eastern Conference that's only getting better. At this point, they have to give Bucks fans something new and exciting to root for, so Herro naturally fits the bill.
Jaquez is a more intriguing proposition. Entering his fourth season as a pro, there are more questions about whether he is who he will be as a player, or if there's more room for him to grow into an All-Star-caliber player. He was a deserved runner-up for the Sixth Man of the Year award, averaging 15.4 points, five rebounds and 4.7 assists for the Heat last season.
He's a capable ball-handler who can create for himself or others, but always seemed more like a role player than a breakout candidate in Miami. So the Bucks might be hoping they can get him on a contract that represents his role in the NBA so far, creating a value when he exceeds that as a starter or more featured offensive talent as the Sixth Man in Milwaukee.
Nonetheless, the Bucks seem committed to building around the players they acquired for Giannis, which should put discussions about them flipping Herro or Jaquez Jr. to rest as they move toward a training camp that will decide much about the fate of this team moving forward, and the players who will compete to crack the rotation in what'll be a competitive offseason program in Milwaukee.
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