Getty Heat stars Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro have Miami sitting in first place in the East prior to the All-Star break.
The major talking point of the Miami Heat offseason was whether to trade Tyler Herro. He hadn’t greatly improved in Year 2, with some nay-sayers calling the skinny sharpshooter a product of the Orlando bubble.
But Herro hit the gym and bulked up while videos popped up showing him working out with famed trainer Drew Hanlen. The results? The 22-year-old has been sensational so far this season while averaging 20 points per game, a new career-high. He should have been selected to the All-Star Team and has a legitimate shot to win NBA Sixth Man of the Year.
Despite Herro’s successes, there is still chatter about the Heat trying to move him for Bradley Beal this summer. Stop it. The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson talked to one anonymous scout who thinks the “talent differential” between Herro and Beal is negligible. Plus, Herro is six years younger and $30 million less expensive than the three-time All-Star who has one year left on his Wizards contract.
“He’s the league’s best sixth man this year, an All-Star level player,” the scout told Jackson. “I would not give up Herro for [Bradley] Beal this summer. The talent differential is not big enough to do that now.”
Tyler Herro would’ve gotten a 50 with this one tonight alone
The scout went on to say that Herro “got screwed” out of this year’s All-Star Game, adding that he’s already a better player than Lou Williams. The Atlanta Hawks star has been widely regarded as the best Sixth Man in basketball over the last decade.
The latest Heat news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Heat newsletter here!
Jimmy Butler Reacts to James Harden Trade
Jimmy Butler was recently asked to comment on the deadline deal that sent James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers. He had nothing but kind words to say, especially about Joel Embiid whom Butler struck up a fast friendship with during their half-season together in Philly.
“If [Harden is] happy there, then that’s where I want him to be,” Butler told the Inquirer’s Gina Mizell. “He’s with one of my best friends in Joel, and they got a really good team. I can’t wait to go up against them and see what we’re made of.”
“I know the East has taken a lot of criticism over the years,” said Erik Spoelstra, the coach of the top-seeded Miami Heat. “That is not the case now. It’s legit.”
NBA All-Stars reacted to the Harden-Simmons trade. Here’s what they said.
Head coach Erik Spoelstra also chimed on the Harden trade and the new balance of power in the Eastern Conference.
“I know the East has taken a lot of criticism over the years,” Spoelstra told Mizell. “That is not the case now. It’s legit.”
The Heat will square off against the Sixers on March 5 at 8 p.m. in Miami. The two teams have split their two matchups this season.
Herro Enjoys Kanye West Album Debut
Kanye West put on a live performance of his new album “Donda 2” on Tuesday night at LoanDepot Park in Miami. The eccentric rapper pulled out all the stops in a three-hour show featuring a burning replica of his Chicago childhood home. Tyler Herro and his fitness model girlfriend Katya Elise Henry were in attendance and posted photos from the event on Instagram. Herro was donning a retro Dennis Rodman shirt.