Getty Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat.
As the Miami Heat push to win a title, an offseason that could be full of changes looms. Miami’s playoff success has swept what was an underwhelming regular-season under the rug.
The Heat finished seventh in the Eastern Conference with a record of 44-38, just one year after securing the top spot in 2022. With both Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry eating up a ton of money, as they continue to age, the Heat may have to rework the roster in order to continue to compete.
In an article published on May 8, “Bleacher Report’s” Dan Favale included Miami in a group of teams that may have to “brace for change.”
“Riveting playoff run in mind, the Heat still need to shore up the frontcourt spot next to Bam Adebayo. Starting Caleb Martin or Kevin Love (a free agent) is fine,” Favale wrote. “It’s not the perma-answer. Kyle Lowry has already been nudged out of the starting five. Gabe Vincent’s free agency could push him back in.”
On top of teasing a potential exit from Vincent, Favale hinted that the Heat could look to use Tyler Herro as a trade chip in order to land a big star this summer.
“Max Strus is starting again in the postseason with Tyler Herro on the shelf. He could graduate back to the opening five. Or leave in free agency himself. And let’s not discount the possibility the Heat aim for a blockbuster trade. Surviving the play-in and the banged-up Milwaukee Bucks isn’t proof of concept. It’s more like lightning in a bottle. They could dangle picks, salary filler and maaaybe even Tyler Herro in an attempt to bag another star.”
Heat Have Been Hot Without Tyler Herro in Playoffs
If Miami winds up falling short of a title, the biggest takeaway from the current Cinderella playoff-run may be that the team doesn’t necessarily need Herro. The 23-year-old has been watching games from the Heat’s bench since breaking his hand on April 16, in the playoff opener against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Since then, his team has sent the top-seeded Bucks packing in five games, and secured a 2-1 series lead over the New York Knicks in the second round.
Starting next season, the Heat will be paying Herro significantly more money, with the four year, $120 million extension he signed last fall officially kicking in. It’s not the wildest thing to imagine the front office perhaps looking to spend that money elsewhere, after seeing the current squad look comfortable in the playoffs without him.
Heat ‘On the List’ of Potential Damian Lillard Trade Suitors
One star that could be available this offseason is Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, who Miami has been linked to in the past month.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst pinned the Heat as a potential suitors for the Blazers star.
“I think the Heat are on the cusp of looking for another star maneuver,” Windhorst said on the April 26 episode of his podcast, “The Hoop Collective.” “I would put them on the list for Dame Lillard if Dame ends up getting traded.”
Windhorst did name drop Herro when outlining what a potential deal would look like.
“I don’t know if they have enough,” Windhorst continued. “A lot of their offer would be built around Tyler Herro, who’s just injured. But I suspect, I don’t know for sure, just to be clear, I don’t know for sure that they would offer him, but I would suspect that that would be the type of thing, that and draft picks.”