Heat's Tyler Herro Jokes He's Safe 'Until Next Summer' After Lillard Trade Rumors

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro may not have been traded for Damian Lillard, but he understands how things work in the NBA once you get talked about in a potential deal.

Herro joked on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he's safe "until next summer" after Lillard was dealt from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.

Herro also said he was getting a Lillard jersey in the wake of the deal given his Milwaukee roots:

Herro's joke about being safe until next summer may not turn out to be true. The Blazers got Jrue Holiday from Milwaukee in the deal, but ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported they are expected to engage with contending teams about the 33-year-old.

On Thursday's episode of Get Up, ESPN's Brian Windhorst cited the Heat as one of the teams that could have interest in Holiday.

Portland wouldn't necessarily have to take Herro in a potential trade for Holiday, but his salary would make it easier since both teams are in the luxury tax.

When the Heat were talking to the Blazers about Lillard, Herro's name frequently popped up in rumors as the most-likely player on Miami's roster to be sent back to Portland.

Per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Heat's offer for Lillard was "built around [Tyler] Herro and two first-round picks (in 2028 and 2030)."

While Herro is a solid player, the main reason he was included in the trade speculation is because of his contract. The 2023-24 season will mark the start of his four-year, $120 million extension that was signed in October 2022.

A $30 million average annual salary isn't nothing in the NBA, but being significantly less than a max salary makes it easier to move that type of contract. Herro's age (23) would have also made him valuable to a rebuilding team like Portland.

Instead, the Blazers decided they preferred the three-team deal with the Bucks and Phoenix Suns to move their franchise icon.

Herro has spent his entire NBA career in Miami since being drafted No. 13 overall in 2019. He's averaged more than 20 points per game in each of the past two seasons and averaged a career-high 4.2 assists per game in 67 starts last season.