Miami Heat's Tyler Herro Considered A 'Wild Card' To Win Coveted Award

While the Miami Heat had a disappointing season, there were a few bright spots. One of which was Tyler Herro's breakout campaign. Once viewed as a critical piece off the bench, Herro flourished in a newfound role, averaging career-highs in most statistical categories.

The Heat will enter their first full season after moving on from Jimmy Butler and many are questioning whether Herro's breakout was a fluke or not. Bleacher Report claims Herro may be a wild card to win the Clutch Player of the Year.

"Herro shooting 19 percent from deep in the clutch last year contributed to Miami's disastrous late-game showings," the article wrote. "A sturdier secondary pecking order following the addition of Norman Powell will go a long way toward opening things up for him. Plus, the Heat remain just good-not-great enough that you can envision them leading the league again in crunch-time minutes."

Herro became the main ball-handler for Miami last season amid the disaapointing play from 2024 trade deadline acquisition Terry Rozier. Rozier was brought in to fix the scoring problem in the backcourt. However, the scoring from the guard position further became the team's biggest weakness. These issues forced Pat Riley to completely revamp the guard rotation by adding Norman Powell via trade and selecting Illinois product Kasparas Jakucionis in the draft.

Herro is eligible for a contract extension in October worth north of $150 million. While Herro's defense has been somewhat of a liability, Riley may view this potential extension of a no-brainer. A Clutch Player of the Year nod would presumably make Riley feel better about spending that money.

HEAT DEAL JOVIC IN BLEACHER REPORT MOCK TRADE

The Miami Heat's reluctance to trade their younger talent this offseason prevented them from landing big-name stars such as Kevin Durant. However, if the Heat believe they have the tools to embrace a win-now identity, they may have to part with some of the young players in the rotation.

Bleacher Report proposes a one-for-one, player-for-player swap between the Heat and Orlando Magic, sending forward Nikola Jovic to Orlando for guard Anthony Black.

The Magic have mightily improved, becoming one of the favorites in the depleted Eastern Conference this season. Adding Nikola Jovic to their forward core of players such as Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Jonathan Isaac just seems like a luxury. Jovic has been playing at a high level for the Serbian national team in the EuroBasket tournament.

The Heat's guard rotation was a weakness last season. However, Pat Riley and company have made multiple acquisitions to improve the position. First, they re-signed Davion Mitchell, a former first-round pick who found a substantial bench role during the latter half of the season. He was first acquired at last season's trade deadline. The team also drafted Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis with their first-round pick this offseason while adding Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell through a trade.

Anthony Black is still quite young and has shown some promise throughout his short career. The Magic may just not have him as part of their future plans with Jalen Suggs, Jett Howard andDesmond Bane clogging their rotation. Black would be a valuable piece to Miami's rotation, especially with the expiring Powell and Terry Rozier contracts following the season. His playmaking opposite Tyler Herro would be a nice addition for the team's future.

Miami Heat's Tyler Herro Considered A 'Wild Card' To Win Coveted Award

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