Tyler Herro Trade Needs to Be Heat's Priority After NBA Rumors on Contract Talks

The Miami Heat have no obvious incentive to place Tyler Herro on the NBA's trade block.

Dig the slightest bit beneath the surface, though, and you'll find ample arguments for doing exactly that.

The Heat just let their extension window with the 2024-25 All-Star pass without getting a deal done. Moreover, in the leadup to Monday's deadline, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported there hadn't "been substantive talks" about ironing out an extension.

In the same piece, Tim Bontemps added that Miami wanted to keep its books as clean as possible, because it is "planning for that aforementioned 2027 free agent class." As Bontemps detailed, that free agent group could include Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Donovan Mitchell, Anthony Davis, Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard and several other household names.

That's a staggering amount of stars, all of whom have shined much brighter than Herro. So, it's understandable that Miami could be more intrigued by the possibility of adding an elite rather than locking up the best player on a 45-loss team that needed a pair of wins to make it through the play-in tournament—only to be swiftly swept out of the postseason's opening round.

The Heat have to aim higher than this. And they can do so without just crossing their fingers and hoping that recent trends regarding stars extending with their current clubs stops holding at some point between now and the 2027 summer.

A Herro trade is the way to make that happen.

While he isn't the kind of player who would command a king's ransom on the trade market, he'd have his share of suitors. His career numbers might make some of last season's stats look like outliers (his 23.9 points, 5.5 assists, 3.3 three-pointers and 47.2 field-goal percentage were all career-highs), but at 25 years old, it's entirely possible this was just a young player evolving into a greater form.

He might have his best years still ahead of him. And despite not getting a deal done, he offers a bit of security, since his current contract still spans both this season and next.

Some will argue these are reasons Miami should keep him. That all goes back to the "no obvious reasons to trade him" part of the discussion.

It could be true, but only if the Heat felt they held the kind of talent capable of dramatically improving their standing in the East. Maybe they hold that kind of hope for Kel'el Ware, Nikola Jović and newcomer Norman Powell, but it's tough to spot the transcendent talent from the outside.

Miami, which has been eliminated from the first round each of the past two seasons, needs to find better, more reliable stars to build around. It also might need to up its talent level in order to attract those high-end players. Its built-in market advantages only look so attractive when the on-court product isn't great.

The Heat should use a Herro trade to pursue that end goal.

Maybe that means packaging Herro with additional assets to chase an elite right now. Perhaps it's just using a Herro trade to stockpile the kind of assets that could facilitate a blockbuster deal down the road.

The Heat should remain as opportunistic and flexible as possible. If they want to strengthen their pitch to potential 2027 targets, bringing in a more high-profile star before then would do it. So, too, could having the option of acquiring multiple elites that summer.

Remember, Miami just saw Herro at his absolute best (at least so far), and it didn't really matter. It didn't have the supporting cast to elevate around him, and his on-court influence only extended so far considering he's just a one-way contributor.

The Heat can't continue down this path. And if their focus is already on free agents who are two years away from (potentially) reaching the market, it seems as if they already know that.