The Miami Heat should roll the dice with Tyler Herro this season.
Heading into the start of preseason, one team that many around the league are expected to take a step back is the Miami Heat. After an inactive offseason, the Heat was left licking its wounds all summer long. If the team is going to rebound from the summer and be a contender in the Eastern Conference this season, they’re likely going to need a big jump from one of their young players – Tyler Herro.
And while you can argue that he made that jump last season, the Heat is hoping there’s still some headroom left to explore when it comes to Herro’s ceiling. But one thing that must be decided before the start of the regular season is whether or not the Heat will extend him or let him play out the final year of his contract, opening the door for some possible drama next offseason.
Tyler Herro’s extension deadline is coming up
There are just a few more weeks before the rookie-level extension deadline (October 17) and if Herro and the Heat don’t agree to an extension before that, he’ll be a restricted free agent next offseason.
But that wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for the Heat, or Herro.
It may not be the best-case scenario for Herro nor the outcome he wants to see in negotiation talks this offseason, but it could work for both sides.
From the Heat’s perspective, they may want to keep cap flexibility heading into the season in the event a trade presents itself. And signing Herro to a huge extension before the season starts would make it extremely difficult for Miami to get involved in any big trade.
Plus, they may want to see Herro prove his worth once again. Especially after the disappointing showing that he had in the postseason. During the regular season, Herro averaged 21 points, five rebounds, and four assists per game on 45 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent shooting from 3-point range en route to winning the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
However, he was a shell of himself in the postseason. In the playoffs, Herro averaged just 13 points, four rebounds, and three assists on 41 percent shooting from the field and 23 percent shooting from 3-point range. In fairness, he also battled injuries and was in and out of the Heat’s lineup throughout their playoff run.
Even though Herro did make strides in his game this past season, it wouldn’t hurt for the Heat to see him do it again – and, preferably, in the postseason.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Heat extend Herro before the deadline but I also believe that there’s growing evidence that they may end up holding off until next summer.