Miami Heat's Tyler Herro Clears Up Surprising Jimmy Butler Comments

Oct 30, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) and guard Tyler Herro (14) talk on the court against the New York Knicks during the second quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Miami Heat's season came to an end, but All-Star Tyler Herro felt he had to clear some things up.

Before Game 3 of their first round Playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, 'The Athletic' published an article which included Herro saying he "knows [he] needs Jimmy [Butler] to win."

Herro logged on to his second Instagram account and decided to clear the air, adding his point of view.

"Dude asked me a question in the timeframe of Jan. through 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 that I learned from JB. Never said I need anyone to win games," Herro said. "Y'all trippin and buddy from The Athletic who wrote the article is a goofy."

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In what many presume is his “dump” account, Tyler Herro clarified the Jimmy quotes that caught some attention the other day. pic.twitter.com/gtzyl3NZ0G

— Naveen Ganglani (@naveenganglani) April 30, 2025

Herro, a first-time All-Star who averaged 24 points, five rebounds and five assists for the season, had to take on the brunt of the scoring and playmaking responsibility alongisde Bam Adebayo after Butler was suspended multiple times and then traded. Herro posted a follow-up to wrap everything up.

"I usually don't clear (expletive) up either but I don't like dude from The Athletic"

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Alexander Toledo is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI and producer/co-host of the Five on the Floor podcast, covering the Heat and NBA. He can be reached at toledoalexander22@gmail.com. Twitter: @tropicalblanket

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Miami Heat's Tyler Herro Makes Shocking Jimmy Butler Revelation

Once again, the Miami Heat find themselves unable to win without former star player Jimmy Butler.

A year ago, they lost him to injury in their Play-In game. This time around, after trading Butler away midseason, they enter Monday's Game 4 down 0-3 in their first round Playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Tyler Herro, averaging 22.3 points in the series, gave The Athletic an eye-opening quote about what Butler meant for his chances at winning before their disastrous Game 3 loss.

"Obviously, I know I need Jimmy to win," Herro said. "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, (bleep), 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.”

Herro, of course, was a pleasant surprise as a rookie playoff contributor during the Heat's 2020 Finals run. After that, he did not play up to his standards during the 2021 and 2022 Playoffs, and then missed almost the entirety of the 2023 Finals run after getting hurt diving for a loose ball in the first game of the Playoffs.

The Golden State Warriors, meanwhile, are up 2-1 as the seventh seed in their series despite Butler getting hurt in Game 2. Additionally, the Warriors won 23 of 30 games in the regular season with Butler in the lineup. Herro knows how valuable Butler was to the Heat.

“I’ve known Jimmy for five, six years, obviously being with him every day, just seeing how he is as a basketball player and how he really makes his teammates better,” Herro said. “He makes the right play all the time, just seeing that competitive edge that he brought.”