Tyler Herro showed what he will be able to bring to the Miami Heat – or perhaps some other team – this season in his first action since recovering from a hand injury that knocked him out of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
He gave fans a night to remember on Friday at the Miami Pro League.
Herro scored 44 points and had some notable defensive plays during the showing, a good sight to see after he suffered his hand injury in Game 1 of the first round against the Milwaukee Bucks in April.
Though he was able to rehab and make progress with his injury throughout the playoffs, he did not play again as the Heat advanced all the way to the 2023 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Denver Nuggets.
It was just the start of a tumultuous time for the 23-year-old, who has since become the focal point of Miami’s pursuit of Damian Lillard. Even before the Portland Trail Blazers star requested a trade on July 1, Herro was involved in rumors this offseason which only have intensified as the process has moved along.
But the Trail Blazers reportedly have very little to no interest in acquiring Herro and his four-year, $120 million contract extension that will begin this season. Instead, it is believed that he could be moved to another team in a three-team trade (or larger) to make a deal work.
The University of Kentucky product played a career-high 67 games in the 2022-23 regular season — all as a starter — and averaged 20.1 points per game, just below the 20.7 points per game he averaged in the 2021-22 season when he was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year.
Herro recently responded to a social media post that showed him without a Heat logo on his jersey and said fans were reaching about his future. A Heat insider also said there might be a way for Miami to acquire Lillard from Portland without including Herro as part of the deal.
However, according to NBA insider Shams Charania, the Heat are prepared to offer draft capital, expiring contracts and a young player (possibly Nikola Jovic), with Herro going to a third team for assets.
Based off of one summertime performance in a tiny gym, it looks like Herro is ready to provide excellent value to whichever NBA team he plays for this season.