After years of speculation and being tangled up in trade rumors, Tyler Herro is finally back home. As the centerpiece of the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, he's now expected to lead the new era of Milwaukee Bucks basketball.
Of course, heading back home and getting a team of his own is great news for the Kentucky product. As much as some might think otherwise, he's actually excited to play for his hometown team and lead them back to contention.
Nevertheless, things may have gotten a bit trickier for him over the past week or so. On top of being dragged into off-court drama with his alleged beef with Bam Adebayo, the Bucks are now involved in a complicated situation with Gary Trent Jr.
The Gary Trent Jr. saga may have a negative impact on Tyler Herro
The NBA is reportedly investigating the Bucks for salary cap circumvention with Gary Trent Jr. They inexplicably gave him a fully guaranteed four-year, $64 million contract after he averaged just 8.1 points per game last season, and that was after giving him a one-year, veteran's minimum deal in 2024 and a two-year, $7.5 million deal last offseason.
Given his contributions to the team, the only reasonable explanation for this is that the Bucks promised him a bigger contract down the road if he agreed to take pay cuts first. That's against league policies, and it could lead to serious penalties.
But what does that have to do with Herro? Well, everything. As things stand now, there are two possibilities: either the Bucks believe Trent is worth that much money and will give him a bigger role, or they'll be stripped of draft capital and punished for salary cap circumvention.
In the first scenario, Herro will have to give up shots and touches to help Trent Jr. justify his steep salary. Not only will that most likely hurt the team's chances of winning, but it might also rub him the wrong way. He wanted a team of his own, and now that he's got it, why should he cater to a role player?
In the second case, the Bucks could face a similar punishment to the one the Minnesota Timberwolves faced with Joe Smith. They were stripped of five first-round picks, leaving the team stuck in a mediocrity spiral for years to come. The result? Kevin Garnett never got to play in the NBA Finals there, and they had no choice but to move on from him.
Whatever the case, Herro should still be the team's primary offensive force until proven otherwise. But after the never-ending trade drama in Miami and a tough time in Las Vegas, another scandal was probably the last thing he needed right now.
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