Tyler Herro Teases No. 11 Bucks Jersey Just Days After Picking No. 42

Tyler Herro can’t seem to settle on a jersey number, and Bucks fans are watching every Instagram move for a clue. Just two days after publicly committing to No. 42 with Milwaukee, Herro posted a photoshopped image of himself in a No. 11 Bucks jersey to his Instagram story on Wednesday, reigniting a jersey-number saga that has become one of the most talked-about storylines of an already wild offseason in Milwaukee.

Herro is adjusting to a lot at once. He was traded from the Miami Heat, the only NBA franchise he’d ever known, to his hometown Bucks on July 6 as the centerpiece of the blockbuster deal sending two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to Miami. In return, Milwaukee landed Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round picks (including No. 13 in this year’s draft), a pick swap and a second-round pick. For a guy who spent seven seasons wearing No. 14 in Miami, changing addresses came with an unexpected wardrobe problem.

Why No. 14 Was Never an Option

Herro wore No. 14 for his entire NBA and Kentucky careers, and the number is retired at his alma mater, Whitnall High School in Greenfield, Wisconsin, just outside Milwaukee. But it isn’t walking through the door with him in the NBA. No. 14 has hung in the rafters at Fiserv Forum for decades, retired by the Bucks in honor of franchise legend Jon McGlocklin, a member of Milwaukee’s 1971 championship team and the team’s longtime television broadcaster. That left Herro searching for a new number for the first time since he was a freshman picking between what was left on his high school roster.

On July 7, Herro appeared to close the book on the decision, posting on Instagram that he’d chosen No. 42. Asked in the comments why he picked it, Herro explained, “my pops wore 42 and i was a Charlie Bell fan growing up.” The number carries some Milwaukee pedigree of its own — Scott Williams wore it as the starting power forward on the 2001 Bucks team that reached the Eastern Conference finals, and it has been worn just twice since Bell, both times by Robin Lopez, in 2020 and again in 2024.

Then Came the No. 11 Tease

Just two days later, the plan looked shakier. Herro shared a photoshopped mockup of himself in a No. 11 Bucks jersey on his Instagram story, prompting fans and Milwaukee beat writers to wonder whether he was reconsidering. The timing lines up: No. 11 became available on the Bucks’ roster on July 7, the same day Milwaukee traded guard Gary Harris to the Detroit Pistons. Whether the post was a genuine trial balloon or Herro simply having fun with fans during a slow news week remains unclear, and as of Friday, no formal announcement had followed to confirm a switch away from 42.

Herro hasn’t yet held his introductory press conference with the Bucks, but he’s already been spotted around the Milwaukee area in team gear. He was in Las Vegas this week supporting Team Herro, the AAU program he sponsors, while continuing to work out ahead of his first season back home.

What Herro Brings to Milwaukee

Beyond the jersey drama, the basketball stakes are real. Herro made his first All-Star team in 2025 and won the Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 2022. Last season was shortened to 33 games by left foot surgery, but he still averaged a career-best 20.5 points on 48% shooting to go with 4.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists. For his seven-year career, Herro has averaged 19.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, giving Milwaukee a proven scorer and shot-creator as it retools around a young core that also includes Ware, Jaquez and Jakucionis.

The homecoming angle adds another layer. Herro grew up in Greenfield, less than 20 minutes from Fiserv Forum, and his Whitnall High jersey retirement in 2023 was already a full-circle moment before the Bucks ever considered trading for him. Now he gets to play in front of family and friends every night, provided the Instagram teasing eventually gives way to an actual jersey release.

Whatever number ends up on his back, sportsbooks have already started shaping early win-total and playoff-odds markets around a post-Giannis Bucks roster built differently than any in the last decade. Bettors tracking those futures can compare current numbers through the DraftKings Promo Code or the FanDuel Promo Code pages, while those who prefer wagering on outcomes like MVP or award races can check the Kalshi Promo Code and Polymarket Promo Code offers. For fans who want an even simpler way to follow along, the BetMGM Casino Promo Code and BetMGM Promo Code remain among the most popular sign-up offers heading into the new NBA season.

For now, all eyes stay on Herro’s Instagram. Milwaukee’s next chapter is already shaping up to be must-watch television, jersey number and all.