Tyler Herro

Heat Notes: Powell, Rozier, Herro, Jakucionis, Morant, LaRoche

November 2nd, 2025 at 8:22am CST by Rory Maher

Heat guard Norman Powell is in the final year of his contract, which will pay him $20.48MM in 2025/26. He will remain extension-eligible through June 30, 2026, and if a deal is not reached he will become an unrestricted free agent.

According to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, Powell recently made it clear he hopes to sign a long-term extension with the Heat.

“I love it here. I love everything about the Heat,” Powell emphasized. “I loved them before. They were on my list before I signed my extension in Portland. I wanted to come here and play for the Heat. So I’m excited. I like the culture. I like what they have going on here. I like the mentality and the approach. I feel like they take guys to the next level. They push them past their own expectations, they have high standards. And I always like being around people that have high aspirations and high goals for themselves. It fits who I am, so I want to be here. Hopefully they feel the same way.”

As Chiang writes, Powell was off to a hot start to the season, averaging 24.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals on .477/.500/.913 shooting in three games (31.0 minutes per contest) before suffering a right groin strain that has caused him to miss the past two. The 32-year-old is questionable for Sunday’s contest at the Lakers.

“Hopefully [the Heat] like everything that’s happened so far and what I bring to the table outside of just on the court,” said Powell, who recently described himself as “super low-maintenance.” “But just who I am every single day, stepping into the arena, integrating myself with the team and the staff and the members around. Hopefully everybody appreciates my presence and we’ll be able to get something done. But, yeah, I want to be here.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel lists the short-term steps he believes commissioner Adam Silver should take to give the Heat more cap and roster flexibility in the wake of Terry Rozier‘s arrest — the veteran guard is facing two federal charges as part of an illegal gambling probe. While the information isn’t really relevant now, a source tells Winderman that the Heat considered waiving Rozier before the season began (a small portion of his contract was non-guaranteed at the time) and also had buyout discussions with the 31-year-old.
All-Star Tyler Herro (left ankle surgery) and rookie guard Kasparas Jakucionis (right groin strain) are traveling with the team on its current four-game road trip, which ends Wednesday in Denver, per Chiang of The Miami Herald. “It’s good for them,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said about Herro and Jakucionis joining the team on the road. “For us, sure, it’s always good to have them around. But I think it just speeds up the whole process when they’re around the guys, around the game, around the whole travel routine, and participating in some of the things that they can do, which they did this morning.” Both players are out on Sunday, though Jakucionis is closer to making his season debut — the 2025 first-round pick is considered day-to-day.
Although the Heat have expressed “more than passing” interest in Ja Morant in the past, Winderman doesn’t expect the team to explore the possibility of buying low on the Grizzlies guard in the wake of his latest off-court incident, which resulted in a one-game suspension for detrimental conduct following a disagreement with the coaching staff.
Speaking of the Grizzlies, former Memphis assistant coach Noah LaRoche is now a consultant with the Heat, who have implemented the movement-heavy offense LaRoche was in charge of last season with Memphis, sources tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN. It’s only been five games, but the Heat currently rank seventh in the league in offensive efficiency after finishing 21st, 21st and 25th in the league in that category over the past three years, Windhorst notes. “You know Spo is running the polar opposite of the system that [Heat president] Pat Riley used to run, where he called every play and each play design was exact,” a league executive said. “And it makes me further appreciate and respect that the organization is about the right s–t. They’re about exploring and teaching in Miami.”

Southeast Notes: Porzingis, Herro, Magic, Bridges

October 22nd, 2025 at 3:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to Fred Katz of The Athletic, Hawks big man Kristaps Porzingis revealed that the mysterious illness that affected him late in the 2024/25 season and in the playoffs was eventually diagnosed as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. The condition, known as POTS, causes a person’s heart to beat faster than normal when he sits or stands up and can result in extreme exhaustion or dizziness when it goes untreated or undiagnosed.

“You know how people say, ‘Oh, I’m so fatigued.’ I’ve never used those words. I don’t even like to speak in those terms, but I really was like that,” Porziņgis said. “At that time, I could just lay on the couch and be a house cat.”

According to Katz, after getting a diagnosis confirmed, Porzingis has been able to manage the condition without medication — a high-salt diet and a more regimented resting schedule (off the court) are among the key factors.

Within his larger story about Porzingis and the Hawks, Katz notes that the offseason traded to Atlanta came as a bit of a surprise to the big man, since his agent had been keeping him up to speed on Boston’s trade discussions with three other teams: the Clippers, Spurs, and Suns. While Porzingis may have been surprised to learn of his landing spot, he wasn’t upset about it.

“We are an aspiring team, a young team that aspires to win a championship one day, and that’s the cool part,” Porziņgis said. “Even by the betting odds, we’re not too far off.”

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

Although Tyler Herro expressed last month that he hoped to reach an agreement with the Heat on a contract extension before the season began, he also made it clear he wouldn’t let it affect his play if they couldn’t come to terms, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. As Chiang details, Herro’s window to negotiate an extension will reopen on July 1, 2026 and will remain open either until he signs a new contract or through the entire 2026/27 league year, all the way up until June 30, 2027.
Josh Robbins of The Athletic spoke to five rival talent evaluators around the NBA about the upside of the new-look Magic and how the additions of Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones will impact the club. “They finally addressed their shooting, and they addressed it coherently and skillfully and efficiently with the two guys,” one scout said. “… (Jones) is not perfect, but he never makes a mistake, and he makes threes, and he can run a team, and he is a true point guard, which they didn’t have. … KCP didn’t work out, and Bane is younger and better, maybe not quite the defender, not quite as big. But he’s a better play-maker. He’s a good play-maker. He’s got secondary ball-handling skills.”
The longest-tenured member of the Hornets‘ roster, Miles Bridges has never won more than 43 games in a season or made the playoffs during his time in the NBA, but that hasn’t dampened his enthusiasm for playing in Charlotte, as Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer relays (subscription required). “Man, I love the city of Charlotte,” Bridges said. “I’m happy to be here. I’m just hoping to reward the city with some wins. That’s all I’ve been talking about since I’ve been here. I think this is the year to do it.” The veteran forward added that he’s fully locked in on finding ways to win games this season and isn’t thinking about his individual stats at all: “I want to actually contribute to winning this year. That’s doing what I need to do. Defense, rebound and scoring the ball. I feel like I could do it all. But (it’s about) just helping this team out the right way.”

Heat Notes: Smith, Herro, Rozier, Jaquez

October 18th, 2025 at 6:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

Dru Smith continues his remarkable recovery from the Achilles tear he suffered last December and will begin the regular season without a minutes restriction, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra confirmed that Smith received full medical clearance, but he plans to be cautious in how he uses the shooting guard, who has suffered two major injuries in the past two seasons.

“He’s not on a minutes restriction,” Spoelstra said, “but we want to be responsible right now. All of these are big victories. He’s way ahead of schedule. We want to keep on just stacking up these wins.”

Winderman suggests that Smith may be in the starting lineup for Wednesday’s opener at Orlando, considering the injuries that have already affected Miami’s backcourt. Tyler Herro is recovering from ankle surgery, while Davion Mitchell and Kasparas Jakucionis both missed time during the preseason due to physical issues.

Smith said he has already overcome the mental aspect of returning to the court following a major injury.

“While I’m out there, I’m not thinking about it at all,” he said. “I’ve been doing a lot more stuff pre-wise — like pregame, before the game, just to stay on top of everything, just take all the precautions that I can, to make sure that my body is ready whenever I do get out there. And after that, I’m just playing basketball. At the end of the day, I can’t control it. It is what it is, so I might as well just try to be myself.”

There’s more from Miami:

It’s almost certain that the Heat won’t agree to an extension with Herro before Monday’s deadline, league sources tell Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Chiang hears that Heat officials want to see how Herro follows up his career-best season before committing to a pricey extension, and one source says the team didn’t make a formal offer during recent negotiating sessions. If no deal is reached, Herro will become eligible for a four-year extension worth up to $206.9MM next summer and could raise that ceiling to a five-year, $380MM super-max deal if he makes an All-NBA team.
Terry Rozier made his preseason debut Friday night after returning from a strained hamstring. The 31-year-old guard, who’s in the final year of his contract and faces an uncertain future in Miami, told Winderman in a separate story that he wants “a fair chance” to prove himself after a forgettable 2024/25 season. “Last season it was rough, definitely for me,” Rozier said. “So I had a whole lot of the whole summer just to reflect on what I want to do and what I want to bring to this team. I’m ready. Like I said, just hopefully I get the equal opportunity, equal as everybody. But if not, I’m still going to be here in voice and be that vet.”
Jaime Jaquez Jr. hopes to rediscover the success of his rookie season by attacking the basket more often rather than spotting up for threes like he did last year, Winderman adds in another piece. “I just stopped putting pressure on myself to make or miss threes,” Jaquez said. “Make it, miss it, stop letting it affect me. I think last year I was trying to put so much emphasis and pressure on myself to try to just be that. And this year, I’m just focusing on my strengths, and one of those strengths is just getting downhill, creating for my team and sometimes for myself.”

Extension Rumors: Herro, Heat, Porzingis, Daniels, M. Robinson

October 17th, 2025 at 11:34am CST by Luke Adams

Although All-Star guard Tyler Herro has expressed interest in signing a contract extension with the Heat before the regular season begins, there haven’t been substantive discussions to this point, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who hears from sources that a preseason deal is doubtful.

Because Herro has two guaranteed seasons left on his current contract, he wouldn’t be eligible to sign an extension during the season. If he and Heat don’t work out an agreement on or before Monday, his next window to sign a new deal would be during the 2026 offseason.

Norman Powell and Andrew Wiggins are also extension-eligible, but a long-term deal for either player appears unlikely in the short term, Windhorst writes.

As ESPN’s Tim Bontemps observes within the same story, the Heat are one of a handful of teams looking to maximize their cap flexibility for the summer of 2027, which is when several stars – including Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Donovan Mitchell – are currently projected to reach free agency. That doesn’t necessarily mean a player like Herro or Powell won’t sign an extension sooner or later, but Miami may be reluctant to sacrifice 2027 cap room until they have “good reason” to, Bontemps explains.

Here are a few more notes and rumors on potential extension candidates:

There’s mutual interest between the Hawks and Kristaps Porzingis in a new contract, but the two sides are comfortable waiting to see how the season plays out, says Windhorst. That lines up with recent public comments from Porzingis on the subject. Both Porzingis and Trae Young are expected to have to wait on potential extensions, though Young would ideally like to replace his $49MM player option for 2026/27 with a lucrative new deal sooner or later, per Windhorst.
The Hawks are negotiating with rookie scale extension candidate Dyson Daniels ahead of Monday’s deadline, Bontemps confirms. ESPN’s Bobby Marks suggested earlier this week that Daniels’ agent, Daniel Moldovan, is using Jalen Suggs‘ five-year, $150MM as the key point of comparison for his client. Daniels’ teammate Jalen Johnson signed an identical extension last fall.
The Knicks and Mitchell Robinson have spoken about a possible extension, but haven’t gained any real traction, sources tell Windhorst. According to Windhorst, there’s also no urgency for the Knicks and Karl-Anthony Towns to work out a new contract — he’s extension-eligible, but has two guaranteed years and a player option left on his current deal.
Marks and Bontemps took a closer look at several of the remaining rookie scale extension candidates, speculating about what fair contracts might look like and predicting which ones will get done.

Heat Notes: Mitchell, Ware, Jakucionis, Keels

October 10th, 2025 at 5:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

Kasparas Jakucionis and Pelle Larsson returned from injuries to make their preseason debuts on Wednesday, and there appears to be more good news on the horizon for the Heat, writes Anthony Chiang for the Miami Herald. According to Chiang, guard Davion Mitchell, who missed part of training camp with calf soreness and has yet to suit up during the preseason, is expected to be available for Sunday’s game against the Magic.

The 27-year-old point guard was not overly concerned about the injury.

“It was just a calf strain,” he said. “I kind of felt something in my calf. They kind of have been cautious of it because obviously the calf is a big part, especially with the injuries [around the NBA] that we had last year and things like that. So they kind of just wanted to be cautious and make sure I’m ready 100 percent.”

With Tyler Herro likely to miss the first month of the season as he recovers from left ankle surgery, Mitchell is expected to be vying for the role of day-one starter for the Heat. After playing some of the best basketball of his career down the stretch last season, he expressed frustration with being slowed down by the injury.

“Especially with the new offense we got, you kind of want to get that chemistry together to play faster,” he said. “So I kind of got a little step behind not going through the actual games with them. But I’ve been doing it in practice, so I feel good about it.”

Chiang also notes that Simone Fontecchio is participating in practice but remains limited due to left lower leg tightness. Herro and Terry Rozier are both still out without firm return dates.

We have more news from the Heat:

After Kel’el Ware put up a double-double in the Heat’s second preseason game, head coach Erik Spoelstra expressed that he was not moved by the big numbers and wanted the big man to focus on making a positive impact on the game. Ware wasn’t discouraged by those remaks, viewing them instead as an opportunity, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (subscriber link). “I always take anything Spo says to me as motivation,” Ware said. “I take it and I try to impact it in my game and I try to play as hard as I can.” Ware responded on Wednesday with 29 points and 12 rebounds — and most importantly, he helped the Heat outscore the Spurs by 10 when he was on the court. It was a big performance, and his coach noticed. “He put a lot of it together,” Spoelstra said. “His pick-and-roll coverages were really good, protecting the basket. He was closing out when he needed to. He rebounded the ball very well. And he was playing with force.” While Ware has a lot of skill, playing with force is a clear point of emphasis for Spoelstra. “My favorite play was when he had an opportunity to shoot a three at the top of the key and he just drove it so hard,” Spoelstra said.
Also turning in an impressive performance on Wednesday night was Jakucionis, who scored eight points and handed out 10 assists in his preseason debut after missing the first two games with a sprained wrist. It was a strong start for the 2025 first-round pick, writes Chiang. Spoelstra noted that there was already a budding chemistry between the rookie point guard and second-year big man, saying, “You can see a natural connection between him and Kel’el.” Jakucionis, for his part, knows there’s still a lot of work to do, especially in terms of scoring efficiency. “I’m just trying to be consistent, stay the same,” he said. “Discipline, and stay the same mind. Don’t go too high when I’m doing good and don’t go too low when I’m doing not that good. So I’m just trying to stay consistent, stay the same way, and just improving every day to try to get 1 percent better.“
Ware and Jakucionas were not the only recent Heat first-round picks to show out on Wednesday, Chiang writes in a separate article. Jaime Jaquez Jr., coming off a slightly disappointing sophomore season, scored 19 points on eight shots in 28 minutes. He impressed Spoelstra, who, characteristically, still wants to see more from the young forward. “He’s such a downhill force that he’s going to attract help-side defenders,” Spoelstra said. “So naturally, he has to evolve and make enough plays to keep the defense honest because we need him to be aggressive.”
Trevor Keels was recently waived in order for Miami to sign Gabe Madsen. Both players are expected to end up with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Winderman writes (subscriber link). Spoelstra spoke on the two players, both of whom showed enough for the Heat coach to take notice. “We want to continue to develop him, for sure,” Spoelstra said of Keels. “He showed a lot of improvement over the last few weeks. He’s gotten in better shape. He’s committed to our defensive system. And I told him this is just the beginning.” As for Madsen, Spoelstra saw some of the famous “Heat Culture” in the young guard. “He showed a level of grit, a competitive toughness that we like,” Spoelstra said. “And he’s also skilled. He knows how to play without the ball and shoot the ball, or drive off those catches. So we’re encouraged by that.”

Heat’s Tyler Herro Optimistic About Potential Extension

September 30th, 2025 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

Heat guard Tyler Herro isn’t participating in training camp this week as he recovers from ankle surgery, but October 1 is an important date for him — he’ll become eligible to sign a veteran contract extension that could be worth a maximum of $149.7MM over three years.

Herro will have a window of about three weeks this fall to sign a new deal. If he and the team don’t have an agreement in place by Oct. 20, he won’t be eligible to sign an extension until the 2026 offseason, as he enters the final year of his current contract.

However, Herro expressed optimism on Monday about his odds of working something out with the Heat before opening night, as Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald relays.

“I expect to get something done. But we’ll see what happens,” Herro said. “I think they’re supposed to meet on Wednesday.

“… It is important for me,” he continued. “I’ve been here six years. I feel like I’ve earned it. I’m not saying what I’ve earned, but I’ve earned something. I think I deserve it, and I want to be here ultimately. I’ve vocally said that.”

Herro, who will earn $31MM this season and $33MM in 2026/27, is coming off the best season of his NBA career. He earned his first All-Star nod and set new career highs in points (23.9) and assists (5.5) per game, along with games played (77) and field goal percentage (47.2%).

That big year doesn’t mean the Heat are prepared to reward him by offering that full $149.7MM, but Herro suggested on Monday that he won’t necessarily be pushing for that maximum extension either. The 25-year-old told reporters that it’s not “$50 million (per year) or nothing,” and added that he has “a number in my mind,” but if he and the team don’t agree to terms, he won’t be frustrated by that outcome.

“I’m not going to hinder this season on getting an extension or not. I’m not going to lose my joy,” Herro said, jokingly referencing a comment former teammate Jimmy Butler made last season. “… I’m excited to play. At the end of the day, I have two years on my contract. And if we don’t get something done, I’m not going to be a problem throughout the organization. I’m happy to be here. … I would love to get something done, like I said, but we’ll see what happens.”

Heat Notes: Herro, Jovic, Smith, Powell, Ware, Rozier

September 29th, 2025 at 10:48am CST by Dana Gauruder

Heat guard Tyler Herro suggested on Monday that his return from ankle surgery could take longer than initial projections, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. Herro underwent surgery this month to alleviate posterior impingement syndrome in his left ankle with the expectation he’d miss about eight weeks.

Herro, who said he couldn’t even jump due to the ankle pain prior to surgery, said the rehab process could go a little longer.

“I’ll be back in the next eight to 12 weeks,” Herro said. “Should be a full recovery. Right now, I’m ahead of schedule as far as the swelling. I should get the stitches out in the next week.”

However, Herro told coach Erik Spoelstra that he’ll try to return on a more accelerated timetable.

“I told Spo that I’ll be back in six weeks,” Herro said. “I’m ahead of schedule.”

Here’s more from the Heat during their annual media day:

Nikola Jovic is one of the Heat players who is extension-eligible this preseason with an Oct. 20 deadline. He downplayed extension talks on Monday, Winderman tweets. Winderman speculated last week that a contract in the range of $50-60MM over four years could appeal to both sides. Jovic added that he hopes to get a chance to earn a starting job during training camp, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets.
Dru Smith, who was signed to a three-year deal in August, said he’s been cleared to play in preseason games, according to Jackson. Smith suffered an Achilles tear in December.
The addition of veteran forward and proven scorer Norman Powell via trade in July came as a pleasant surprise to Spoelstra, according to Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “We’re excited to have Norm with us, his ability to put the ball in the basket. He can do it on the ball, can do it off the ball,” the coach said. “He’s been able to be efficient in a lot of different roles. He’s been part of a lot of winning teams. He’s a competitive dude, has got an edge to him. His work ethic is tremendous. We will thrilled [to get him]. There were a lot of things we planned to do this summer; that one was a little bit of a surprise.”
Second-year big man Kel’el Ware won’t be handed the starting center job. “He and Bam (Adebayo) had some good moments together. In the playoffs, it wasn’t good,” Spoelstra said. “He’s positioning himself for an important role. He’ll have to prove it; he will have to earn it.”
Terry Rozier, whose status with the team this season remains up in the air, has been preparing for the season in Miami, according to Spoelstra. “Terry has been in the gym since the middle of July,” he said. “He is in great shape, lost 10, 12 pounds. He was playing pickup anywhere he could in Miami [this summer].”
Rozier said the FBI investigation regarding suspicious bets when he played for Charlotte weighed on him initially, but is no longer a concern, according to Jackson (Twitter link). He declined to say what his attorney has told him about where that investigation stands. The NBA found no wrongdoing in its own investigation.

Heat Extension Notes: Herro, Jovic, Powell

September 21st, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Heat are operating in something of a middle ground from a competitive standpoint in their first full season of the post-Jimmy Butler era. They were able to land Norman Powell via trade while sending out Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson, who were unlikely to play major roles for the team, but have otherwise had a relatively quiet offseason.

However, there are still some big decisions to be made, as Ira Winderman explores for the South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscriber link). Tyler Herro, who recently underwent ankle surgery, is extension-eligible, as are Powell and Nikola Jovic.

As Winderman writes, the window for the Heat and Herro to come to an agreement will be open for less than three weeks, from October 1-20. The 25-year-old, who is under contract through 2026/27, is coming off his first All-Star selection after averaging a career-highs of 23.9 points and 5.5 assists while playing a career-best 77 games.

A maximum extension for Herro would come out to three years and $149.8MM. While Herro has been a productive, hard-working player throughout his time in Miami, Winderman notes that the team has always appeared more committed to Bam Adebayo as a cornerstone than Herro.

Ultimately, Winderman predicts that unless Herro budges off his max number, the two sides will not reach an agreement before the extension deadline. However, he believes that there will be plenty of willingness to find a deal that works for both sides in future offseasons.

When it comes to Jovic, Winderman observes that there’s no argument for him commanding a deal in the same range of Herro or Adebayo, but that locking in guaranteed long-term money somewhere in the neighborhood of the mid-level – such as a deal worth between $50-60MM over four years – could appeal to both sides.

Jovic would get security with the team and not have to risk restricted free agency, which has a tendency to squeeze less-established young players, and if he can prove himself to be a fifth starter or even one of the first players off the bench, the extension could become a team-friendly contract for Miami.

Finally, there’s Powell. He’s by no means a seamless fit next to Herro in the backcourt, assuming both start, which is not guaranteed. There’s also the locker-room issue of potentially signing Powell to an extension while not signing Herro, which could rankle the Heat lifer.

The Heat also may want to maintain as much cap flexibility as possible for 2026, when Terry Rozier‘s big expiring contract will also come off the books.

These factors have Winderman leaning no on a Powell extension, unless the Heat extend or trade Herro. However, Winderman notes that should Powell break out for the team with Herro recovering from surgery, that would improve his chances of landing a long-term deal.

This lines up with previous reporting from Miami Herald writer Barry Jackson, who indicated that the Heat would be open to the possibility of an extension if Powell starts the season well. Unlike Herro and Jovic, he’ll remain extension-eligible beyond opening night, all the way until June 30, 2026.

Tyler Herro Undergoes Ankle Surgery, Will Miss Start Of Season

September 19th, 2025 at 3:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

3:04 pm: According to a press release from the Heat, Herro underwent successful surgery on Friday to alleviate posterior impingement syndrome in his left ankle. He’s expected to miss about eight weeks, per the team, which would put him on track to return around mid-November.

9:35 am: Heat guard Tyler Herro is having surgery on his left foot that will force him to miss the start of the upcoming season, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

In a full story, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald states that the procedure, which involves the ankle and foot area, was necessary to fix a “lingering injury” that bothered Herro throughout the summer. While a timetable hasn’t been set for Herro’s return, multiple sources tell Chiang that he’s not expected to be sidelined for the entire season.

Herro began feeling discomfort in his left ankle during an offseason workout, a source tells Chiang. He was given platelet-rich plasma and cortisone injections over the past few weeks in hopes that surgery wouldn’t be necessary, but the pain subsisted and doctors decided surgery was the best option to prevent it from becoming a long-term issue.

Herro, 25, is coming off his best NBA season and his first All-Star appearance. He averaged a career-high 23.9 PPG in 77 games while adding 5.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists per night and posting a .472/.375/.878 shooting line.

Chiang notes that Miami’s offense was far more productive with Herro on the court, producing 8.6 fewer points per possession while he rested. The team struggled to score in general, finishing 21st in overall offensive rating.

Norman Powell, who was acquired from the Clippers in a three-team deal this summer, will likely take Herro’s spot in the starting lineup and will be counted on to replace some of his scoring punch. Powell is also coming off a career-best season, scoring 21.8 PPG with L.A. while shooting 48.4% from the field and 41.8% from three-point range.

Chiang points out that Herro’s absence will come at a bad time for Miami, which faces a difficult early-season schedule. The Heat will play six of their first eight games on the road, including a West Coast trip, and 11 of their first 15 games are against teams that were in the playoffs last season.

Herro will become eligible for an extension with the team next month, Chiang adds. Beginning October 1, he could add up to three years and $149.7MM to the two seasons (at $31MM and $33MM) remaining on his current deal.

If an extension agreement isn’t reached by October 20, Herro will be eligible for a four-year extension worth up to $206.9MM next summer. That could increase to a potential five-year, $380MM super-max deal if he makes an All-NBA team during the upcoming season, but he’ll have to appear in at least 65 games to qualify and the surgery may make that difficult.

A league source tells Chiang that Herro and his agent are expected to meet with team officials in early October to begin extension talks. He adds that team president Pat Riley indicated in May during his season-ending meeting with reporters that a Herro extension might not happen until 2026.

“Pay me now or pay me later, whatever it is,” Riley said. “We’ve already talked about it. I talked about it with Tyler, and so we’ll see what happens as we plan. The numbers are getting pretty big for a lot of guys. Max salaries in this league, who do they go to? I mean, who do they go to and who is really? If you’re going to make $70 million a year, who are those five or 10 guys that deserve that? But Tyler definitely is deserving of the thought of an extension. But are we going to do it? We haven’t committed to it, but we’re going to discuss it and I’ve already talked to him about it. He’s cool.”

Heat Notes: Arison, Training Camp, Jakucionis, Highsmith

September 6th, 2025 at 7:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

In advance of tonight’s induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Micky Arison participated in Friday’s media session and spoke about his memories from three decades as majority owner of the Heat, per Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Under Arison, who was elected in his first year as a finalist, Miami has made seven trips to the NBA Finals and captured three titles.

“I would just say I’m appreciative. It is an honor… It was never a goal,” he said of the Hall of Fame selection. “Our goal was to win championships. Was fortunate enough to win three. Our goal was to create a fantastic atmosphere in Miami. Most great NBA players, coaches it’s a goal for them. It’s never been a goal for me. Despite that, I’m extremely appreciative.”

Hall of Fame weekend marks a rare moment in the spotlight for Arison, as Jackson and Chiang note that he hasn’t spoken with beat reporters since 2013 and declined interview requests regarding his election. As his presenters, he chose Heat president Pat Riley and franchise legends Alonzo Mourning and Dwyane Wade.

“They were three key elements to our history for 30 years,” Arison said. “Pat was with me almost from the very beginning. Zo (was acquired) the first year. From there the culture was created. Dwyane Wade helped take it to the top. Obviously the greatest player in Heat history; (he has) a statue on the top steps (of Kaseya Center). I’m glad those three will be with me.”

There’s more on the Heat:

Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel (subscription required) previews several battles to watch when training camp opens later this month, including Kel’el Ware vs. Nikola Jovic for a potential starting spot and Tyler Herro vs. Davion Mitchell to be the crunch-time point guard. Winderman expects Andrew Wiggins and newly acquired Norman Powell to both be in the starting lineup, but coach Erik Spoelstra‘s decision on how to use them could factor into their long-term future with the team. Powell has an expiring contract, and Wiggins holds a player option for next season.
The fate of Kasparas Jakucionis is also worth keeping an eye on, Winderman adds. The first-round pick struggled during Summer League games and seemed like he might need some time in the G League, but Winderman suggests he may be able to avoid that fate with a strong showing in camp and the preseason.
Haywood Highsmith, who was traded to the Nets last month, recently offered a heartfelt farewell to the Heat organization and fans on his Instagram account. “You gave an undrafted kid from Baltimore a chance and I’m forever grateful for the journey, challenges, and growth I’ve experienced here,” he wrote. “Miami will always have a special place in my heart.”

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