What the Bucks' star needs to do this season

For almost a decade, the face of the Milwaukee Bucks franchise was Giannis Antetokounmpo. Racking up All-NBA selections, MVP's and quenching the thirst of a team who didn't see a championship in 50 years.

With a talent like Antetokounmpo on the court, it felt like the Bucks always had some sort of chance to make a run towards a championship during any given year. However, in the last few seasons in Milwaukee, the championship window for the future Hall of Famer and the Bucks quickly started to close, and so did his time with the franchise.

Milwaukee and its front office had to bite the toughest bullet in franchise history this offseason after trading Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat. The two sides sadly parted ways, and left both teams with a different look for the 2026-27 season.

While Miami fans jumped for joy after landing the two-time MVP to pair with defensive anchor Bam Adebayo and a Hall of Fame coach in Erik Spoelstra, Bucks fans had to swallow the harsh reality that they're no longer a team with a superstar on their roster.

In the trade, Milwaukee received four players and draft capital to help kick-start what might be a slow and long rebuild. On paper, many people believed the trade was underwhelming and thought the Bucks could've received a better package that included a top-tier player.

Whether Milwaukee accepted the right package is still up for debate, but the Bucks did receive a player who they think could help lead the way with Tyler Herro.

The former All-Star and Sixth Man of the Year will return to his hometown, where he'll step into a big role for Milwaukee as the team's most polished scorer. In the last five seasons, Herro averaged 21.4 points per game while shooting over 45.5% from the field and 38.4% from the 3-point line.

Despite retooling their roster, the Bucks have been quickly labeled as one of the worst teams in the league by numerous outlets. If they want to prove the naysayers wrong, a lot of that responsibility will have to fall on the shoulders of Herro

In Miami, he provided great scoring ability but also had the help of players like Adebayo or Jimmy Butler to take some of the pressure off. Now going to be the No. 1 option in Milwaukee, he'll have a lot more on his plate.

The most important thing for the 26-year-old will have to be his availability. Outside of the 2024-25 season, Herro has never appeared in 70 games in a season, including only playing in 33 games this past year.

The best ability is availability and if he's not on the court, then the chances of the Bucks playing any meaningful games are thrown out the window. Then when he's on the court, he needs to maintain his efficiency on the offensive side of the ball as he takes over the main scoring responsibility.

Proving that he can take that major leap and show that he's still an All-Star-caliber player after being the second or even third option on some nights with the Heat will give Milwaukee a clear star to lean on. Then on defense, he'll have to prove that he can hold his own and not be picked on like at times in Miami.

He's no longer the young player on the team. He's been in the league for seven seasons, so the training wheels are coming off, and it's going to be his responsibility to prove he can lead a team, especially during a contract year.