Inside The Heat

Miami Heat's Tyler Herro Proving He's More Than Just Trade Bait

Shandel Richardson|
Dec 7, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) drives against Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen (8) during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Dec 7, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) drives against Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen (8) during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

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Miami Heat

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro was nothing more than a trade asset the past few seasons.

He spent last summer hearing his name mentioned in the Damian Lillard trade talks. It was the same in 2022 and 2021 when the Heat were linked with the likes of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.

Now, it's time to stop calling Herro a piece. Unless you're talking centerpiece.

Herro is proving he is capable of being the leading man. He had 34 points, seven assists and six rebounds in Sunday's victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers. This season, Herro is averaging 24.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and five assists.

He's way more than just a trade chip.

"Nothing yet," Herro said when asked what he's accomplished this season. "It feels like a regular season for me. I just came in with a better mindset. I'm trying to stick to that and let it come to me and see what happens." 

The Heat have won three straight. If the success continues, it should equate to an All-Star selection for Herro for the first time. He's done it while Jimmy Butler has battled injuries and Bam Adebayo dealt with inconsistency.

Herro is now the focal point of defenses.

"You've got to spend some time trying to scheme against him," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "You do that at a certain level, that helps your offense." 

And Herro has helped his case for being considered a No. 1 option.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star. TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here