Miami Heat President Pat Riley Says Tyler Herro Is An ‘Anchor’ For The Team

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro is in the midst of trade rumors for the team getting a superstar like Damian Lillard.

President Pat Riley all but shut down those rumors, saying Herro and Bam Adebayo are “anchors” in the team’s future. He praised Herro’s playmaking in his first season as a starter.

“Tyler is an extraordinary scorer and fourth-quarter player,” Riley said. “Big time shot maker. He’s 23 years old, you gotta watch it with these guys. Last year he was out in the Eastern conference finals for almost four games with a groin injury. This year, he broke his hand. I’m a loose ball guy, ball on the floor, first guy with the ball, but I’m going to caution him with his shooting hand.”

Riley said Herro’s absence hurt the team in the long run because they played without their fourth-quarter performer.

“We missed him,” Riley said. “People don’t understand just how lethal he is in those moments. He gets better in the biggest of moments. He just does. You’ve seen it time and again from the bubble to here.”

Of course, some on social media joked that Riley’s words were to inflate Herro’s value in case of a big trade. But Riley seems confident in the core fresh off a Finals run, silencing potential Herro departure scenarios.

“We have a great base with Bam and Tyler, and we have a superstar in Jimmy Butler,” Riley said. “He’s a whole different bag of tricks. And we have, who I think, is the best coach. I’m feeling good today, as we work on our next iteration with this team.”

Jayden Armant is a contributor to Inside the Heat. He is a student at Howard University. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.