Getty Tyler Herro drives the ball in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Golden State Warriors are hoping to jump back into title contention with the expected return of Klay Thompson next year, and a rising star of the Miami Heat could help get them there, one insider suggests.
The upcoming offseason will bring some big decisions to the Warriors, especially after the team reportedly turned down the chance to make some long-term investments in favor of what turned out to be an ill-fated playoff run. One insider believes that the Warriors will look to upgrade in the coming months, with some potential big-name targets.
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Warriors May Look to Land Heat Star
Tim Kawakami of The Athletic took a look at the strategy the Warriors are expected to take as they look to build a contender around Thompson and Steph Curry. He noted that one of the biggest priorities is to bring in some veteran players who can fill important defensive roles and offer third or fourth scoring options beyond the two star players.
“They want a few hardy souls who can get a pass from Curry, read the defense, take one dribble and either lead a teammate directly to the basket or finish at the rim,” Kawakami wrote. “Players who are dying to do all of this. They want someone who has proved he can move to the right spots and drop in two or three long-range shots when the defense is swarming everywhere else.”
Kawakami identified some “pie-in-the-sky” options like Paul George and Pascal Siakam, along with some more realistic targets like Rudy Gay and Danny Green. But included in the list of “worth a look” players was Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro. While he may barely qualify as a veteran at age 21, Herro was seen as a potential target who might be landed for one of the Warriors’ lottery picks.
But Kawakami added that the Warriors would be unsure which Herro they’re getting — the one who caught fire during the team’s trip to the NBA Finals in the bubble last year, or the sharpshooter who struggled to find his touch in a more disappointing sophomore season.
Tyler Herro in the bubble:
16.3 PPG
3.7 APG
45.2 FG%
37.6 3P%
Tyler Herro this playoffs:
7.7 PPG
1.7 AST
28.0 FG%
33.3 3P%
Still, Herro’s size and skill could be enough to contribute to the Warriors, Kawakami added.
“At 6-foot-5, he’s the Warriors’ kind of tall guard and he’s still quite young, though with some real playoff experience,” he wrote.
Heat May Not Part With Herro
Landing Herro may not be so easy. Though he struggled to match his blistering rookie season, the Kentucky product remains a key player for the Heat and had the endorsement of team president Pat Riley. In end-of-season remarks, Riley put off reports that Herro’s place with the team could be in jeopardy and called him a “core player.”
“He’s a core player, that’s all there is to it.”
– Pat Riley on Tyler Herro
“I like the nucleus of our team,” Riley said, via Bleacher Report. “We’ve got a great core with Jimmy and Bam. We didn’t make a mistake on those guys. … Somewhere, you have to make a decision on the two or three players that you think are your franchise anchors.”
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