The Miami Heat may not necessarily say it out loud, but they absolutely must act on the Tyler Herro truth that has become abundantly clear this season. And it's the fact that he's not a foundational building block of the future.
There's a difference between being a good player and a franchise cornerstone. Right now, Herro has yet to prove he's deserving of such a label.
If the decision revolves around trading Herro (even for pennies on the dollar) or signing him to a long-term extension this summer, the answer is pretty obvious at this point. It very well may be time to trade the All-Star guard.
Tyler Herro is not a foundational building block
Herro is a very good offensive player, but doesn't move the needle nearly enough to justify a significant contract extension. Especially if a Herro extension is going to be closer to the $45-50 million per year range than the $33 million he's projected to play for in the final year of his contract.
Miami would only be fooling themselves if they think otherwise.
After an All-Star season, it's hard to blame the Heat for wanting to see how this year would play out with him as their lead (offensive) man. Suffice to say, it didn't exactly work out as either side had hoped.
While injuries played a significant role, they’re also part of the reason it wouldn’t be wise for the Heat to make a major investment in Herro’s future. Availability is important. Herro has struggled with durability his entire career. That matters.
That should 100 percent be factored into the decision about his future. But it's not even just the injuries that would make a big contract extension difficult for the Heat to stomach.
Tyler Herro hasn't been a needle-mover for the Heat
Additionally, the Heat are just 12-17 with Herro in the lineup this season. While the counting stats have been there for Herro, once again, this season (21.6 PTS, 4.7 REB, 3.8 AST), the overall winning impact just hasn't been obvious.
For a team that values winning over everything, or at least wants to make it seem as if that is the case, they should be able to realize Herro just doesn't impact the game as they need a No. 1 or 2 option to.
If that wasn't clear before, that certainly is now.
While the Heat may never flat-out admit it, it's past due for them to act on a Herro reality that can't be denied at this point. Heading into the summer, Herro is one player whose future in Miami is far from a certainty. And, unfortunately, that's probably a necessary headache that needs to be confronted head-on this summer.