After averaging 16.0 PPG and making 37.5% of his three-point attempts during last year’s playoff run as a rookie, Heat guard Tyler Herro didn’t take a major step forward statistically in 2020/21. The 21-year-old recorded 15.1 PPG with a .360 3PT% during the regular season and struggled in the postseason (9.3 PPG, .316 FG%).
However, president of basketball operations Pat Riley said multiple times during his end-of-season presser on Thursday that Herro is still a “core player for the Heat, expressing confidence that the second-year guard will continue to make positive strides going forward, as Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes.
“What happened to him going down the stretch, I actually thought he got better as a player,” Riley said. “If you think about his first year or his first 35 or 40 games, he really was strictly a catch-and-shoot type of player coming off of screens and catching and shooting. The only way that he was ever going to become a complete offensive player is he had to improve his ball-handling with both his right hand and his left hand, and he did. He’s an exceptional ball-handler. Now he can create space and get into gaps and raise on jumpers from almost anywhere.”
Given the Heat’s lack of moveable future draft picks, Herro would be the team’s most appealing trade chip if the front office tried to take a big swing for another impact player this offseason. But Riley’s comments on Thursday suggest Herro remains very much a part of Miami’s “core.”
Here’s more on the Heat:
- Riley said on Thursday that during last fall’s extension talks with Bam Adebayo, the Heat broached the subject of putting off the big man’s new contract until this year in order to maximize the team’s 2021 cap room. However, Adebayo preferred to sign his extension immediately and the Heat were fine with that, as Jackson relays.
- Riley hasn’t had any discussions with the Thunder about removing the protections on the 2023 first-round pick Miami owes Oklahoma City, according to Jackson. Making that pick unprotected would allow the Heat to trade their 2025 and 2027 first-round picks, if they so choose, giving them more flexibility in trade talks. However, the Thunder likely won’t do the Heat a favor without receiving compensation — in a similar situation last offseason, the Bucks had to send the Cavaliers a 2025 second-round pick in order to remove the protections on the 2022 first-rounder Milwaukee owed to Cleveland. That allowed the Bucks to free up other future first-rounders for the Jrue Holiday trade.
- This summer will be a critical one for KZ Okpala, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Okapala was the 32nd overall pick in the 2019 draft, but has yet to develop into a reliable rotation player for Miami and will be entering the final season of his three-year contract. “It’s a blessing that I do have a full offseason with Summer League and all that,” Okpala said. “So I accept my blessing, and I’m going to take advantage of it.”
Sending off Okpala?
BTW the new name of the Heat venue is:
Forgot it already. Three letters. A bitcoin exchange whoopie.
The Heat would of been better off getting Lowry instead of Olidipo. The same could be said about the Lakers. The time was now for LA to repeat but instead kept THT
Any team would be better off with Lowry instead of Oladipo. Now Dipo will be forced to sign a 1-year deal with someone willing to take the risk, just to prove his worth. And Miami will end up with nothing in their trade with Houston.
You’ve been keeping with this narrative for a while. You do realize that they can easily sign another floor spacing big to replace Olynyk, who they may not have re-signed anyway…including Olynyk, who is a free agent
Okpala didnt have a summer league at all his first 2 years. Had the contract and injury situation his 1st year, and then no summer league last year. I still like him. Should be interesting to see what they do with him and Achiuwa, as I’ve said previously…
Herro still has a lot of room to grow. Took the guy he is compared to into his 5th year to become a good player. That being said, I still 1000% would have traded hom for Lowry, and depending on what else they do, I would still consider moving him. Obviously, he didnt really get a real development summer to build off his rookie year, so it should be interesting to see how he comes back, but it might make sense to let someone else see
However small, Okpala did show some improvement in the games he played ……. shooting form was more confident (especially on that corner three), better poise on both sides of the court. Still prone to mistakes on the defensive end though.
If he ain’t trade-filler for a big trade, Okpala’s a good bench-filler for the next season. It’s a contract year, the kid might make a bigger step.
Herro regressed, just couldn’t get a good grasp on that starter role, early on. Injuries and Nunn’s resurgence didn’t help as well.
This proper offseason, should help these kids.
Last summer Herro was a deal breaker to include in a Bradley Beal trade.
I feel for him because even if he improved this season he wouldn’t have lived up to the hype from the bubble. But if anything he regressed.
That’s a real problem for Miami because they don’t have an abundance of trade chips to try and upgrade this offseason. And with Bam’s ext they don’t have as much cap space. Riley will need to work some magic.
Still waiting on options and non guaranteed contracts, but obviously, besides health, and just not going cold against a team that didnt necessarily play great defense against them, and kind of lucked out on certain guys missing bread and butter looks, the Heat need to address someone that can guard the guard spot, another wing piece, which especially matters depending on Andre Iguodala and/or Trevor Ariza, another piece at the 4 that can defend, and preferably knock down shots,and if they can have some size that would be helpful, and a big that can space the floor, and hopefully give them adequate defense to replace Olynyk, especially after not using Bjelica in a matchup they needed him in, for whatever reason…
Obviously depends on what happens with their young guys, and who they potentially trade/dont keep. Curious what they do with guys like Achiuwa and Okpala, besides the obvious guards. Those guys could go in a trade, and they weren’t used for some reason in a matchup where they may have been useful, so moving them or not, those positions may be more important than they already are. I personally would still consider trading Tyler Herro, as I would have a few months ago. If I had to keep 1 of him or Nunn, I would keep Nunn, but depends on what either could get in a trade, or who else they might grab, and if they keep Dragic. I really want Dragic to end his career with the Heat, so I’ll be really sad if he goes, but it might depend on what else happens
I really hope they dont lose Duncan Robinson. He is extremely important. You can probably find a way to either spread out that shooting, or maybe develop other pieces, but I feel like he is very valuable, and I wouldn’t want to trade him for anything but specific valuable pieces. Hopefully they can offer him enough to take away the risk of someone giving him a wonky deal, outside of just money, that makes it tough to match. The Heat has Max Strus on a 2 way deal, and he is interesting to potentially fill some of that spot, but I think it’s worth keeping Duncan Robinson barring a really significant roster change.
Not necessarily in order, but I could see a few of these guys being real options/potential targets, assuming status. Some of those guys are obviously easier to get…I personally doubt Kawhi Leonard moves, but obviously he would change a lot of the scenarios. That being said, I think the same needs would still exist, so the idea of lower cost options at those spots could be nice. I would imagine the Heat would also consider retaining flexibility, as not offering years may have cost them this year, so they could be holding out for someone worth going after to give that up
Paul Millsap is still an obvious target, among others, Serge Ibaka could be nice if he leaves the Clippers. If Marc Gasol became available, he would be so perfect, but I doubt he leaves the Lakers. Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry, Josh Hart, Tony Snell, Torrey Craig, Josh Richardson, Sterling Brown, Rudy Gay, Justise Winslow, James Johnson, Solomon Hill, Frank Ntilikina, Shaq Harrison, Lonzo Ball, Isaac Bonga, Kelly Olynyk, Noah Vonleh, Bobby Portis, Harry Giles, Thon Maker, Frank Kaminsky, Moe Wagner, Dwight Howard, Jeremiah Martin, Kris Dunn
Crowder was a very useful player for Miami surprised Heat let him go. I still think Dallas should of kept him. Every good team needs a great piece like him
They offered him more money. He left because of years. They should have just offered the years though b/c they could have easily still moved him, which I said at the time. They did sign Harkless, which I thought was a good signing, but he didnt stay healthy while he was here. Going into the offseason, I said they need to keep at least 1 of Crowder and Derrick Jones jr, and they lost both for the same reason