On Tuesday, Dan Le Batard clarified his recent comments about Tyler Herro and Tyrese Maxey, and in the process, he revealed that the Miami Heat apparently view Herro as a better trade asset (and player) than the Philadelphia 76ers guard.
“Dan Le Batard said…”
– Dan clears the air on how he was incorrectly aggregated yesterday.
…or at least he attempts to. 😂
📺 https://t.co/2sh6oL5aX7 pic.twitter.com/svjTwB8yQ7
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) July 18, 2023
“I was telling you — or thought I was telling you — this is what the Heat think,” Le Batard said. “This is their opinion. … They think Maxey isn’t as good as Herro. … They think that Herro is better as a trade asset.”
Le Batard added that his viral quote about Herro being “whiter” than Maxey initially came from the Heat’s camp, not him.
The Heat evidently think a lot of Herro, who just finished his fourth NBA season. The former lottery pick was solid in his first campaign as a full-time starter, averaging 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from deep.
Maxey, meanwhile, just completed his third NBA season. He averaged 20.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game on 48.1 percent shooting from the field and 43.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
As the Heat look to use Herro in a deal for Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard, they likely want his perception around the league to be favorable, even if that means overselling the way they feel about him.
However, Herro and Maxey do seem to be on a similar tier at this stage of their careers, and the Heat may truly feel that their 23-year-old guard has the edge when compared to Philadelphia’s 22-year-old. At the end of the day, both players have bright futures in the NBA and will likely be in the league for a long time.
The Heat, who reached the 2023 NBA Finals, haven’t had a very productive offseason so far, but that has the potential to change at a moment’s notice if they can get a deal done for Lillard. The hope for many Heat fans, of course, is to see a new Big 3 in Miami this season that features Lillard, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
That would give the Heat arguably the best trio in basketball, but it would also likely mark the end of Herro’s time in Miami. Time will tell if that scenario does indeed come to life eventually.
