Team will be called the Herd

The state's newest pro basketball team now has a name.

The Milwaukee Bucks announced Thursday that their NBA Development League franchise, which will begin play for the 2017-'18 season, will be called the Wisconsin Herd. The formation of the team in Oshkosh was officially announced in February and the Herd will play at a newly constructed 3,500-seat arena on S. Main St. at the site of the long-vacant Buckstaff furniture factory.

“The Wisconsin Herd is so much more than a team name; it’s a brand that embodies a group of players fighting to join the Milwaukee Bucks, along with an excited fan base ready to rally behind Wisconsin’s newest team,” Wisconsin Herd President Steve Brandes said in a statement. “We hope the people of the Fox Valley join the Herd today with family-affordable season tickets to watch future NBA talent.”

The Herd nickname ties into other projects the Bucks have undertaken since their change in ownership in 2014. When working on commercial projects including and related to their new arena, the Bucks created Head of the Herd LLC, which was led by Bucks majority owners Wes Edens, Marc Lasry and Jamie Dinan.

“We are proud to call our D-League team the Wisconsin Herd, which we believe will resonate with fans across the state,” Bucks President Peter Feigin said in Thursday's statement. “The Herd will become an important brand extension of the Bucks and we’re excited to watch the emerging talent in the upcoming season.”

While the Herd's name is public, the team's logos won't be available until June 22, when they are unveiled at a special event in Oshkosh. That event will be followed by an NBA draft watch party, with further details to come at a later date.

For more information about the Herd, including ticket information, go to bucks.com/dleague.