The Miami Heat just picked up Tyler Herro’s team option for the upcoming season. Although this move was practically inevitable, it is still worth noting that they officially did it.
Herro’s name has been thrown around in trade rumors ever since the end of last season. He struggled in the playoffs vs Milwaukee, and a lot of people believed his time in Miami could be up.
Realistically, that was probably a bit of an overreaction. Herro is still a super young player with plenty of room to grow and improve.
However, unless the player is Bam Adebayo or Jimmy Butler, there are always pros to completing a trade, too. What are the potential pros and cons of a Tyler Herro trade?
Miami Heat pros and cons of a Tyler Herro trade: Con – Losing a future piece
Trading Tyler Herro away would, in most cases, be sacrificing a piece of the future. At only 21 years old, there’s no reason Herro can’t grow into at least an All-Star level player.
Despite the critics believing he played poorly last season, he improved in nearly every statistical category. The only area where he got worse was his three-point percentage.
He had a great regular season, but all people seem to remember is the playoffs. A lot of players struggled in the playoffs, but that doesn’t mean he’s washed up.
Giving Herro time to develop should be Miami’s primary focus. He is the perfect piece to pair with Bam Adebayo for the future of the Miami Heat organization, so trading him now could come back to bite them.
Miami Heat pros and cons of a Tyler Herro trade: Pro – Getting an All-Star caliber player in return.
If the Miami Heat decide to trade Tyler Herro this season, they would certainly do it to get an All-Star caliber player. In that case, they would have to seriously consider making the trade.
With Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler as the main pieces of the current core, Miami has a very small window to win a championship. They probably have around three to four seasons to get it done.
Keeping that in mind, it may be worth their while to get another All-Star on the roster. It could help put their team over the top, considering they will have to face-off against the Nets and Bucks every season.
The real question is, what players would be worth trading for? Players such as Collin Sexton and CJ McCollum have been constantly brought up in trade ideas.
Either one of those two players has the potential to be an All-Star in the coming seasons. In addition, trading for either player would likely require the Heat to give up Herro.
If Herro is unable to take the next step in his game, then trading him for sure-fire talent could be worth it. When that sure-fire talent is a potential All-Star, it’s definitely worth it.
Getting a fourth All-Star caliber player on the roster would certainly be a pro of trading Herro. It just depends on whether or not the Heat think the trade would be worth it.
Miami Heat pros and cons of a Tyler Herro trade: Con – Limited financial flexibility
In theory, trading Tyler Herro would be ideal so that the Miami Heat could get another superstar. However, the issues of financial flexibility then rear their ugly head.
Since the Miami Heat drafted Herro, they will own his Bird rights at the end of his rookie deal. If they decide to trade him, they could struggle to re-sign the player they acquire via trade.
This would give them an even smaller window to win a championship, while also sacrificing their future a bit. As it stands right now, the Miami Heat don’t have any money to spend.
Why should they give up a player who is on a steal of a contract? At that point, it just seems like bad business for Miami.
Miami Heat pros and cons of a Tyler Herro trade: Pro – Avoiding financial issues next offseason
While there may be a con on the financial side of things, there is also a pro. Trading Tyler Herro would mean that the Miami Heat don’t have to worry about re-signing him.
Depending on how well he plays this season, Herro could want a lot of money next summer. He’ll be due for his first extension, and the Miami Heat will be able to give him a bag.
There’s a chance that they don’t feel he’s worth the amount he could ask for. At that point, they might have to trade him in order to capitalize on his value.
If they let him walk for nothing, which is probably unlikely, then they wouldn’t get any value in return. However, if they trade him at the deadline, they could get a player who is under contract for the next few years that can help them win a championship.