Tyler Herro mean mugs during the 2020 NBA Finals.
Miami Heat star Tyler Herro’s big payday could have a ripple effect on the entire NBA, specifically on the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors. Jordan Poole, who was drafted 14 spots below Herro in the same draft, is also due for a rookie extension this season. And Herro has officially set the market on what Poole could command in his next deal.
But could Poole command more than the reigning Sixth Man of the Year in his new contract? One NBA executive told Anthony Slater of “The Athletic” that when it comes to the comparison of the two Milwaukee natives, the Warriors guard is the clear-cut best choice.
“Better creator, stronger going to the rim, should hold up more defensively if he just tries because he plays a little bit bigger,” the executive said of Poole to Slater.
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Herro Extension Making Negotiations ‘Tough’ for Warriors
After a Game 7 loss to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals that came down to the final possession, the Heat are looking to avenge themselves in the 2022-23 season. As teams have already begun training camp and the preseason, the official start of the NBA season is mere weeks away. Which means team front offices are amid tying up any loose ends that have been untended during the height of the NBA offseason.
The Miami Heat already have gotten one major obstacle off their plate as they gear up to open the season against the Chicago Bulls on October 19. According to ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the Heat reached an agreement with Herro on a 4-year, $130 million extension.
Slater says that because Herro signed his deal before the Warriors could meet with Poole about an extension, the starting price point for the Golden State standout has increased significantly.
“That reality has delivered the Warriors a tough negotiating hand this week. Herro and the Heat agreed to a four-year, $130 million extension, but around $10 million in unlikely bonuses are mixed within. So, let’s trim it to $120 million guaranteed and set that as the new realistic starting point if they want Poole to accept a four-year extension before the Oct. 17 deadline,” Slater writes.
“Had they convened before Herro signed, the Anfernee Simons and RJ Barrett contracts would’ve served as the best comparison points. But that’s $100 million for a scoring guard who only blossomed on a lottery team and $107 million for a wing with offensive efficiency concerns but higher defensive upside.”
Warriors Have Tough Decisions To Make in Coming Years
The Warriors’ decision when it comes to whether or not they will pay Poole is not as simple as one may think. Andrew Wiggins will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and Draymond Green and Klay Thompson will be unrestricted free agents in 2024.Green and Thompson have been staples in leading the Warriors to four NBA championships since 2015.
Wiggins on the other hand has seemed to unlock a new potential since being traded to the Warriors from the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2020. He has shot a career-high percentage from the field and beyond the arc, in the last two seasons and had an impressive showing in the 2022 NBA Finals as the Warriors’ second-leading scorer behind Steph Curry who was voted Finals MVP unanimously.
So where does that leave Poole? The jury is still out on that. If he does decide to move on from Golden State, he will likely be one of the most coveted free agents on the market.