Heat's Tyler Herro Says Comments on Jimmy Butler Trade Were Taken Out of Context

Tyler Herro says his reported comments about needing Jimmy Butler before the Miami Heat's Game 3 against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday were taken out of context.

Herro wrote in a Wednesday post on his Instagram story that he had been asked a question "in the timeframe of Jan-Feb when the 'Jimmy saga' was happening."

"I said I had came into the season thinking I was playing off of Jimmy, to him getting [traded] and I had to switch my mindset from needing Jimmy to me being the lead guy, and I spoke about the things I learned from JB," Herro wrote. "Never said I need anyone to win games."

Herro was quoted in a Saturday article by The Athletic's Jared Weiss as saying: “Obviously, I know I need Jimmy to win. If we had Jimmy right now, I feel like it’d be a completely different situation. We probably wouldn’t even be the eighth seed. So finding that middle balance of like, damn, we need him, but also understanding, s--t, that’s his career and what he wants is ultimately his right to want what he wants. It was just tough to be in the middle of both sides.”

The Heat were eliminated from the 2025 playoffs on Monday night with a Game 4 blowout by the Cavaliers.

Herro was held to four points on 1-of-10 shooting in the 138-83 defeat, which marked the biggest margin of loss in a series-clinching game in NBA playoff history.

That same night, Butler posted a team-high 27 points for the Golden State Warriors as the Warriors took a 3-1 series lead over the Houston Rockets.

Butler was traded to the Warriors in February after a contentious split with the Heat that led to him receiving multiple suspensions from the team before the move.

The paths of the Heat and Warriors have diverged since the trade. Butler became a fit with Steph Curry and Draymond Green, and Golden State climbed the Western Conference standings with a 23-8 record since the trade.

The Heat finished the season 12-20 after the Butler trade, slipping down to the No. 8 seed in the East and setting themselves on track for a matchup with the top-seeded Cavaliers.

The early exit leaves Miami with a series of key roster decisions to make this offseason, including a potential extension for Herro. The guard is eligible to sign a three-year, $150 million max deal between Oct. 1 and Oct. 20. If he waits another year, he would be eligible for a four-year, $207 million deal in 2026, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

With the possibility of an extension on the line, Herro is likely looking to cement his status as the Heat's top player heading into next season. He helped himself in that regard by averaging a career-high 23.9 points and 35.4 minutes per night through 77 games of his sixth NBA season.