Sports

The top-3 Milwaukee Bucks options to be the No.1 option

Milwaukee Bucks On SI · Jul 22, 2026 22:21 · 4 min read

The top-3 Milwaukee Bucks options to be the No.1 option — Apr 14, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) handles the ball against Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa DiabatŽ (14) during the second quarter during the play-in rounds between the Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With Giannis Antetokoumpo gone, who will be the Bucks' go-to scorer in the 2026-27 season?

The future for the Milwaukee Bucks is an interesting one ever since the trade that sent Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to the Miami Heat became official.

Milwaukee received Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware and Kasparas Jakučionis, in addition to the several draft picks that was also incorporated in the deal.

From one perspective, it's a sad end to a tenure for a player that will have his jersey up in the rafters in a matter of time, but also an intriguing situation where the Bucks will head into the future with some positive pieces.

As the Bucks try to navigate a situation that they haven't experienced in over a decade, they also have to figure out who will lead this team for next season.

Since 2016, Antetokounmpo has led Milwaukee in scoring every season, and gave the Bucks a clear and cut option to build around.

Now with the departure of the two-time MVP, Milwaukee will have to turn to one of the new pieces as the new first option for the Bucks.

On paper there's not that many options to choose from, but I decided to rank the top-3 possible options for Milwaukee entering next season.

1. Tyler Herro

Mar 29, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard (26) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Herro will most likely to be the No.1 option for the Bucks next season as he has the most proven consistency over his career.

In five of his seven years in the NBA, Herro averaged more than 20 points per game in his time with the Heat including leading his team in scoring for two seasons (2024 and tied with Jimmy Butler in 2023).

He was an All-Star in 2024 and has been used to being a consistent scoring option for the Heat. Even when he came off the bench he won the Sixth Man of the Year Award in his third season with 20.7 points per game.

He's also not shy of the big momments as he has a few game-winning shots under his belt as well.

Recently, in a story written by Eric Nehm of The Athletic, Herro explained that his time in Miami has prepared him to be the No. 1 option on offense.

“I think my time in Miami has prepared me for this,” Herro said. “Playing with great players — Jimmy (Butler), veteran guys, Andre Iguodala, Jae Crowder, Goran Dragić, a bunch of different guys who I’ve learned from throughout my career — and to kind of be in that lead role now, it’s a responsibility that I think I’m ready for.”

I think it would be a fair assessment to assume that Herro will have the ball in his hands a lot for the Bucks next year.

2.Ryan Rollins

Suns guard Devin Booker (1) defends Bucks guard Ryan Rollins (13) during a game at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on March 21, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

There wasn't many positives for Milwaukee his past season, but the emergence of Ryan Rollins was one of them.

Rollins had the best season of his young career where he averaged 17.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists and1.5 steals, on 47.2% shooting from the field and 40.6% from the 3-point line.

He can score at all three levels on the court and does it efficiently. His performances have even gotten the attention around the NBA world and was recently ranked as the No.3 most underrated player in the league according to Bleacher Report.

While Antetokounmpo and Kevin Porter Jr. were the two players who averaged more points than Rollins, he appeared in the same number of games as the two combined.

During his breakout season, it was the first time Rollins scored more than 30 points in a season, and he did it three times including a career-high 36 points against the Portland Trail Blazers

In a season where the first option was by committee, Rollins showed to be the most consistent scoring option for the Bucks.

3.Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Apr 12, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. (11) dribbles against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As stated before, Milwaukee doesn't have the most attractive scoring options with a young and rebuilding team, but Jaquez Jr. is someone who could take a step up with a larger role.

After taking a step back in his second year where he only averaged 8.6 points per game, Jaquez Jr. bounced back in third season by averaging 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists on 50.7% shooting from the field.

Jaquez Jr. became the first bench player in NBA history with more than 1,000 points, 300 rebounds, 300 assists and 50 three-pointers in a season. That season also allowed him to finish second in Sixth Man of the Year voting.

When he came off the bench for Miami, his role is to provide an offensive spark for the Heat and he did. He scored at least 20 points in 22 of the 75 games he appeared in, including a season-high 32 points against the Washington Wizards.

In the 216 games in his career, Jaquez Jr. came off the bench in 178 of them. The expectation for him is to have a starting role with Bucks next year, and in the games that he did start for the Heat he showed that he's capable of being a starter who can be a reliable option.

In 2025, his career-high also came against the Wizards where he got one of his 17 starts that season, and scored 41 points during the final regular season game.