Jazz ‘Loosely Connected’ to Heat’s Tyler Herro in Wake of Lillard Deal
More whispers have surfaced with links between Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro and the Utah Jazz. The Heat, who are in the market to add a first-round pick or two to facilitate a blockbuster Damian Lillard trade could be finding just what they have been searching for with Utah.
Currently standing, the Heat have two first-rounders to send to the Portland Trail Blazers to acquire All-NBA guard Damian Lillard. If it’s not clear enough, that is not working from the perspective of Portland. They will ensure they search far and wide to find another team and/or additional picks to get what they would expect in return for their face of the franchise over the past decade.
Looking for teams that could assist in the pursuit of Lillard for the Heat, not many others make more sense than the Utah.
A new report from Yahoo! Sports suggests that of any team in the league that might have interest in Herro, the Jazz are the only team that has come up on the radar:
“The only team even loosely connected as a Herro suitor has been Utah. The Jazz’s valuation of Herro was a key talking point around last year’s Summer League, too, as team staffers were readying for Utah to move on from Donovan Mitchell — in a trade sweepstakes that NBA figures believed would come down to the Heat’s offer featuring Herro, similar to their possible package for Lillard, and a potential offer from New York that could have included R.J. Barrett."
- NBA reporter Jake Fischer, via Yahoo! Sports.
Given the connections previously present for Boy Wonder last offseason, it is plausible that intrigue lingers back into this summer with another chance to make an offer for him. Likely at a lower cost to acquire him than what we saw last year, parting ways with a single first-rounder might be on the table for Danny Ainge and the rest of the front-office cast.
There are even a few expiring contracts or younger players Utah could choose to involve to help out either side if they really wanted to. However, the price has to be right to make such a move.
Jazz owner Ryan Smith does not seem quite opposed to one or two moves on the frontlines of the offseason either, as mentioned in his latest interview with KSL Sports:
“We obviously have room to do one or two or a couple of more things around the edges, but I don’t know, it’s a marketplace, we’ll be opportunistic.”
- Jazz owner Ryan Smith, via KSL Sports.
The Lillard trade continues to drag along the offseason without a clear end in sight. There is a lot of time for teams to get involved with a package for Herro, but the Jazz presents a compelling opportunity for both the Heat and Trail Blazers.
There is a ton to be excited about for Jazz fans right now. Whether it be with rumors in the trade market or seeing how the young talent on the roster has looked in Summer League; this next season should be a blast to watch unfold.
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