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Tyler Herro\u2019s timing for a career year couldn\u2019t have been better. After posting the best scoring, assist and shooting numbers of his career, Herro is eligible to sign a contract extension this summer that would cement his place as a building block for the Heat.<\/p>\n
Starting Oct. 1, Herro is eligible to sign a three-year, $149.7 million extension. Those years would be added to the two years ($31 million and $33 million) that Herro already has left on his contract and keep him under contract through his 30th birthday. The deadline for that extension is Oct. 20.<\/p>\n
When asked Wednesday if it would be a \u201cbig deal\u201d if the extension wasn\u2019t offered, Herro made it clear that he wants to remain with the\u00a0 Heat longterm.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot the biggest deal, but I would love to be here,\u201d Herro said. \u201cThe front office, the organization, the city, everyone knows how much I love Miami. I\u2019ve been here since I was 18, 19. I\u2019ve got two kids here.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is really home for me,\u201d he continued. \u201cI love being here. Basketball is why I\u2019m here at the end of the day. I want to win and I know how badly this organization and city want to win. We will see what happens. If it doesn\u2019t get done in October, then we can get it done next summer. It will just be a little bit higher of a price.\u201d<\/p>\n
If both sides wait until the summer of 2026, Herro would then be eligible to sign a four-year, $206.9 million extension. He\u2019d become eligible to sign a five-year, $380 million supermax extension if he\u2019s named All-NBA next season.<\/p>\n
Herro put together the best season of his career, playing in a career-high 77 games after Pat Riley challenged him to be more durable before the season. He also averaged career-highs in points (23.9), assists (5.5), field-goal percentage (47.2) and 3-pointers made per game (3.3) in his first All-Star season.<\/p>\n
Even for the eternally confident Herro, his personal success came as a surprise after coach Erik Spoelstra had asked Herro to embrace more of an off-ball role going into the season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI came in thinking it would probably be my lowest usage rate,\u201d he said. \u201cI thought I would average the least [points] of my career. I ended up averaging 24, having the best season of my career but I really do think it\u2019s because I came in thinking I was going to play off the ball. I was letting it come to me. I was going to let [Butler and Terry Rozier] handle and make all the plays and I would be off the ball and be a glue guy a little bit in that starting unit.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt changed quick [when Butler was suspended and traded] and I was able to reap the benefits of it. I made the All-Star team. I won the three-point contest. A lot of personal positives that came out of this season.\u201d<\/p>\n
Herro ended up posting his highest usage rate since being named Sixth Man of the Year in 2022. As he stepped into being Miami\u2019s full-time No. 1 option, his role evolved and so did his game. But it also came with a dramatic learning curve, ending with scoring 17 points on 6 for 23 shooting combined in Miami\u2019s final two playoff games.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t let the last two games define my season, but also understand that\u2019s not what I want out of this league,\u201d Herro said. \u201cThe personal growth is cool, but also I want to win and be known as a winner.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to do some things this summer to help put us back in that position.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Heat were 14-28 in games that were within five points in the final five minutes this season. Win a few more of those, and maybe the Heat aren\u2019t drawing the top seed in the first round. Herro said one of his priorities this summer is figuring out how to make more of an impact in those clutch moments.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what I will be working on this summer, a lot of film, a lot of studying what went wrong this year,\u201d Herro said, \u201cso that if we\u2019re in those situations next year, we can turn those into wins instead of losses.\u201d<\/p>\n
Herro also attempted to clarify a remark made to The Athletic that made the rounds on social media earlier this week. In a story posted before Monday\u2019s Game 4, Herro was quoted saying, \u201cObviously, I know I need Jimmy [Butler] to win. If we had Jimmy right now, I feel like it\u2019d be a completely different situation.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Instagram on Wednesday, Herro said: \u201cDude asked me a question in the timeframe of Jan-Feb when the \u2018jimmy saga\u2019 was happening. I said I had came into the season thinking I was playing off of Jimmy, to him getting traded and I had to switch my mindset from needing Jimmy to me being the lead guy, and I spoke about the things I learned from JB. Never said I need anyone to win games. Y\u2019all tripping [and] buddy from the Athletic who wrote the story is a goofy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked to clarify those statements during his media availability on Wednesday, Herro said his quote was \u201ctaken out of context.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was asked a question after Game 2. The question was asked as if it was February, December, January.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we were 0-82, I would never come out and say I need someone else to win. That\u2019s who I am as a competitor. I think I can do it, with my teammates and coaching staff. I would never come out and say I need somebody else to win in this league.\u201d<\/p>\n After a career season, Tyler Herro is eligible to sign a contract extension that would cement his place as a building block for the Miami Heat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":57924,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57923","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\n