Even if the Miami Heat wanted to make a bold move at the NBA Trade Deadline in an attempt to fix their biggest hole on the roster (their need for a star player), they'll have to choose between keeping Tyler Herro or Norman Powell first. It's the one current headache that the Heat seems to be avoiding at this point.
In theory, keeping both Herro and Powell would be ideal. But if the Heat has any hopes of upgrading their roster with a star player, that seems like an unlikely scenario.
If Miami is going to make a trade for a star player, whether that's at the NBA Trade Deadline or next offseason, you'd have to imagine that it's almost certainly going to come at the expense of Herro or Powell. Perhaps even both.
Heat must choose between Tyler Herro and Norman Powell
But choosing between Herro and Powell could be easier said than done, and may not be something the Heat is completely ready to do.
If there's anything we've learned about the Heat recently, it's the fact that if they have the option to kick the can down the road on a tough decision, they almost certainly will. If I had to guess, they're not going to take a different approach here with Herro and Powell.
Even if the Heat did feel or come to the realization that they must choose between Herro and Powell, that's an almost impossible task with how little the former has played so far this season.
As good as Powell has looked, Herro has only played in six games so far this season as he's battled a couple of injuries. Miami can't feel comfortable in making such a decision after such a small sample size from Herro this year.
Plus, we don't know what type of conversations have taken place between the Heat and Herro's representatives regarding an extension at this point. And without that context, it's almost impossible to predict how the Heat will operate.
One thing is clear, though, and it's that if the Heat are going to make a bold move, and especially if that's going to come sooner rather than later, they're going to have to make the difficult decision between Herro and Powell first.
And if this season is any indication, that decision has only gotten more and more difficult by the minute. But there is a growing sense that perhaps it may be time for the Heat to rip the band-aid off, no matter how difficult it might be.