This offseason, the Miami Heat have to make a significant choice about Tyler Herro’s future. Additionally, the Heat may have recently come to a realization that could fundamentally alter the future for both teams.
In the course of making a trade for Norman Powell, the Heat reportedly discovered that “scoring guards aren’t going for much on the open market.” It clearly illustrates the challenges the Heat may face if they provide Herro a significant contract extension in the hopes of dealing him later on if they are presented with an upgrade chance.
This will at the very least give the Heat more time to think before giving Herro an extension. At least it ought to.
Herro is qualified for a huge Heat contract extension.
Herro’s eligibility for a three-year, $150 maximum extension in October is well known. There is undoubtedly a great deal of danger involved in waiting until next summer to negotiate a new contract with Herro, notwithstanding indications over the past few months to that effect.
Ideally, the Heat could reach a mutually beneficial agreement on Herro’s contract extension this summer. However, it wouldn’t make much sense for Herro to accept less money right now, particularly following his best season to date, in which he was named an NBA All-Star for the first time.
The Heat are obviously in a tough place if that is the case.
What are the Heat’s options?
To put it plainly, the Heat are in a difficult situation regardless of the route they choose. It’s not quite that easy if they wish to prolong him. Granting him a full maximum extension would cripple this team’s finances and take away all of the flexibility they have been accumulating for the upcoming offseason.
They run the risk of losing him for nothing next summer if they push off the contract negotiations.
It’s also not that easy to trade him, which is a possibility if the Heat really want to cash in on this asset and avoid the chance of losing him for nothing in free agency.
The market for Herro wouldn’t be all that much larger even if he were a better player than Powell, which he most likely is now.
I guess we might look at it this way: How many teams are prepared to part with numerous assets for Herro and still be able to provide him the massive contract he will expect at the end of this season?
I doubt there would be a lot. Furthermore, if there are, wouldn’t it be wiser to pursue him during the off-season?
The Heat may have realized they were in a lose-lose situation with Herro in the long run, which is why they acquired Powell.
Is it possible for everything to work out, either by the Herro accepting a reduced contract or by Miami trading him for two first-round selections and his expiring salary? Yes, but it can’t be that likely.
Not even Herro’s brilliance is the only factor in this. Despite his skill as a player, he is currently not the Heat’s greatest fit. There aren’t many situations in which Herro (at maximum salary) on the roster can assist Miami return to being a title contender. That is the sad reality. Perhaps that’s what the Heat have finally recognized.
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