Heat guard Tyler Herro returned to practice on Sunday but said he’ll miss at least one more week as he works his way back from September ankle surgery. As Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald observes, Herro could have qualified for a Designated Veteran contract extension — also known as a “super-max” deal — in the offseason if he had made an All-NBA team in 2025/26.
However, that will no longer be possible, since the 25-year-old will soon be ineligible for major postseason awards due to the 65-game rule. Herro thinks the rule is “fair,” according to Chiang.
“I mean every year I try to come in with a mindset of playing the most games possible, not necessarily for accolades or anything like that. I just want to be on the floor as much as possible,” Herro said. “That’s what they pay me to do. And last season I had a very healthy season. This season started weird for me, something I couldn’t really control. So once I’m back on the floor again, I’m going to do as much as I can to be out there for every game possible. That’s what I want to do. That’s my goal.”
Herro is under contract for a combined $64MM over the next two seasons.
We have more from Miami:
- Both Herro and head coach Erik Spoelstra are confident the seventh-year guard will be a seamless fit in the team’s new uptempo offense, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “That’s easy to figure out,” Spoelstra said of when Herro returns. “His skill level, he’s one of the most skilled guys in the league. It’s going to fit, it’s going to add. We miss him dearly. That offensive talent, play-making, scoring, he can play fast, all of that really fits well.”
- Rookie first-rounder Kasparas Jakucionis missed the first eight games of the season with a right groin strain. While he was available for the November 7 game against Charlotte, he didn’t end up playing and has yet to make his NBA debut. The 19-year-old guard was assigned to Heat’s G League affiliate (the Sioux Falls Skyforce) on Saturday to play a few games before being recalled, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Jakucionis’ first game with the Skyforce didn’t go particularly well, Winderman notes, as he finished with 12 points (on 4-of-15 shooting), seven rebounds, two assists and six turnovers in 22 minutes.
- Defensive rebounding has been issue for the Heat this season, particularly with Bam Adebayo continuing to miss time with his toe injury, Chiang writes for The Herald. “It’s costing us games now,” Spoelstra said following Friday’s loss in New York. “That’s where we are and we’ve said it enough that we have to fix it. We’re being stubborn about it, the things that we need to do better. I feel like we’re fully capable of doing it. Is it easy? Winning is not easy in this league.” While the Heat lost the battle of the boards against the Knicks again on Monday, they did a better job of limiting New York’s second-chance opportunities and pulled out a two-point win.
- In another story for The Sun Sentinel, Winderman evaluates the February trade of Jimmy Butler.
The Butler article is a subscription. Care to clue us in what the article said if you’re going to bring it up?
Strange, it’s not behind a paywall for me. He take a pretty nuanced look at the deal and essentially says both teams have benefited from it in different ways. The Heat have less high-end talent, but have a cleaner cap sheet, more depth and were able to acquire Norman Powell by using Kyle Anderson as the main salary-matching piece. Warriors improved drastically in short term.
OK cool thanks. I tried several times and even clicked on the link above the Butler mention.
You plant the seed and tease but don’t give the info !! lol. Thanks for providing it with your comment. I appreciate it.
Knicks couldn’t close out Heat tonight. Towns not boxing out giving up offensive rebs and points. Towns with TOs in final 2-3 mins. Bridges with 23 pts with 10 mins to go. And doesn’t score another point. Finishes with 23 pts. McBride with 25 pts and ZeRO assists. You lose by two. Cause you can’t close a game out. I have seen this under Thibs so I won’t blame Brown. But seriously Towns and Bridges have to earn their salaries. This game was there for one of you to win it. Yet you are still doing the same old bs. Hiding.