An Eastern Conference executive recently offered an interesting take on Tyler Herro’s contract situation with the Miami Heat.
Thomas Darro of Heavy.com looked at Herro’s contract situation and quoted the unnamed executive as saying that delaying any potential extension for Herro may affect how he performs during the 2022-23 season.
“They’ll need Herro to come down, to take something in the range of what [R.J.] Barrett got in New York,” the executive said to Heavy.com. “Might be a little bit more. Herro’s been a playoff performer and, really, they do need him. Like a lot of guys, the thing that would worry me is that if you don’t come to an extension deal, it sours things between him and the team. That’s always the thing with these extensions. Both sides want to have confidence in each other. If he does not get a deal, I would be worried about how he plays this season — he might try to do too much, be less of a willing passer, slack on defense so he can focus on putting up his own numbers.”
Herro was chosen by the Heat with the 13th overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft and almost immediately blended into the team’s culture. That connection paid major dividends during his rookie campaign when the Heat managed to reach the 2020 NBA Finals.
Over Herro’s three seasons with the Heat, his numbers have increased virtually across the board on a year-to-year basis. Despite primarily coming off the bench, Herro has averaged 16.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game during his regular season career.
Coming off a Strong Year
Herro’s ability to deliver in a reserve capacity was one of the reasons why he won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award last season. The voting clearly showed that Herro stood atop the list of players competing for the award, as he captured 96 of the 100 first-place votes cast.
Herro’s award-winning performance made him the first Heat player to ever win the prestigious award.
Different Options
What Herro’s future holds could be dictated by how the team’s front office approaches his contract situation. Herro has been frequently mentioned in trade discussions during his time with the team, so it’s not certain that Miami will bend over backward in an effort to sign him.
If Herro enters the free agent market next summer, it will be as a restricted free agent, allowing the Heat to match any offer sheet he signs. He could conceivably receive an offer worth more than what the team is willing to pay him.
The most immediate concern for the Heat is how Herro performs in the upcoming season. A new deal would undoubtedly put him at ease and offer hope that he can help the Heat get back to the NBA Finals.
Not signing him runs the risk of not only potentially losing him, but also impacting his focus for the upcoming season. The Heat are in a position where they need to address this situation over the next month.