There might be a movie executive or three hoping Herro’s return to his home state of Wisconsin plays out in superheroic style befitting of his Boy Wonder nickname. A franchise gutted by the forced exit of its best player in history gets miraculously saved by, essentially, a hometown hero? Yeah, the script sort of writes itself.
Unfortunately, there a number of different ways in which that scenario gets reality-checked toward something a lot less exciting. Even Herro acknowledged this uncertainty when telling The Athletic’s Eric Nehm that his homecoming might last “for two months, two years, whatever it is.”
While Herro should clear the two month threshold soon, he is hardly guaranteed a full season-plus stay in the Badger State. The Bucks, for one, might be too far removed from any kind of competitive window to justify hanging onto a 26-year-old All-Star over flipping him for, perhaps, a midsize pile of long-term assets.
Or maybe the Bucks just aren’t inclined to commit anything beyond Herro’s current contract, which expires at season’s end, to such a one-way contributor. Especially when his offensive value could be muted by the backcourt presences of Ryan Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr. and lottery pick Brayden Burries (not to mention playmaking forwards Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nate Ament).
Any number of factors could push Herro into the rumor mill, and he could generate a good amount of buzz upon his arrival. His defensive flaws are real, but his offensive punch is powerful. He is one of only six players to average at least 20 points, four assists and 2.5 three-pointers in each of the past five seasons.