If the Miami Heat are truly laying the groundwork to secure their next superstar, there’s one obvious move that should come next. It’s trading Tyler Herro. Whether the Heat are ready to pull the trigger on such a move remains to be seen, but it’s clearly what needs to happen next if they’re going to have any shot to secure their next star.

Before you jump down my throat, let me explain why this is the next natural move for the Heat.

If the Heat want to remain financially flexible and put themselves in a position where they can seriously make competitive trade offers for star players, they need to avoid any additional huge contracts and continue to stockpile their future draft assets.

Trading Herro would accomplish both of those objectives.

Tyler Herro has priced himself out of Miami

Eligible for a three-year, $150 million extension on October 1, Herro is looking for a huge payday on his next contract. Even if he isn’t looking for the full $50 million per season, anything significantly higher than what he’s currently being paid at the moment ($30 million per year) would put him on a path toward being more of a burden than an asset.

As polarizing as a player Herro already is, the last thing the Heat needs is to give him a contract that would be considered untradable to the rest of the league.

I can’t envision a scenario where any team would want to trade for Herro if he gets the huge contract extension many are projecting. And if the Heat were to sign Herro to such a contract, not only would it all but eliminate any and all financial flexibility they’re hoping to have in free agency next summer or in 2027, but they’ll also be in a situation where his contract would be almost impossible to trade.

Perhaps most importantly, it would put them in a much more difficult position to get in the trade game for a star player than it would be if they traded Herro now.

Not only would trading Herro help them avoid adding another huge contract to their books, but the return they would get in such a move would give them the necessary assets it takes to land a star player in today’s NBA economy.

Right now, the currency of choice for star players is draft capital. The Heat don’t have a ton of that at the moment, but if they could flip Herro for maybe two first-round picks, that narrative would completely shift.

It would be at that point that the Heat would, for the first time in a long time, be in a good position to legitimately enter the conversation to add a star player.

It’s clear what the Heat needs to do next if they’re truly serious about pursuing a star player in the near future. The question is, do they have the Intestinal fortitude to do what needs to be done?