The Miami Heat's impending decision on a Tyler Herro extension is somehow even more complicated right now than it was just a few months ago, when it was already far from a no-brainer. Especially with how he's "struggled" to fit into the Heat's new offense, the questions about a potential extension are only going to get louder.
There's an argument to be made that Herro's struggles to look comfortable within the Heat's new offensive system could slowly be changing the way the front office views him. And if something on the court doesn't change quickly with Herro, it's going to be incredibly difficult to justify the type of extension that Herro will be seeking.
During the offseason, there was an expectation that Herro was asking for a contract extension worth upwards of $40-plus million per year. And after making his first All-Star team last season, it'd be difficult to blame Herro if those demands were accurate.
The Heat kicked the Tyler Herro decision down the road
In the end, though, the Heat and Herro never saw eye to eye and elected to wait on an extension. It didn't close the door to one, but it did kick the decision down the road, hoping that there would be a clearer path to an extension in the future.
However, if he continues to struggle this season, it's going to be difficult for the front office to give Herro that level of extension.
Individually, if you look at the stat sheet, Herro has been just fine so far this season. After all, he's averaging 23 points and five rebounds per game on 50/40/90 splits. That's exactly what you want to see from Herro, one of the best talents on the Heat's offense.
The Heat can't afford to pay Tyler Herro like a superstar
Unfortunately, it's the intangibles from Herro that leave much to be desired. If there's one gripe that can be made about Herro, it's the fact that he rarely makes the teammates around him better. It's one of those abilities that many superstars have across the league that Herro simply doesn't possess.
And I'm not sure that's a "knock" on Herro, but it speaks to the need that the Heat have at the star position. Where it becomes a problem for Herro is when he wants to be paid at the level of the star players who have that ability. Herro doesn't, and that's why paying him to that level (of $40-plus million per season) could be a big issue for a team that is looking to build a championship contender.
Ultimately, that could be the biggest reason why the Heat may end up moving on from Herro. He's a very good player, but he's not the star that the Heat needs right now. Add in the Norman Powell element, and the Heat may elect to go with the cheaper option, especially if they could use Herro's contract to land an upgrade via a star trade in the next few months.
Then again, if a star trade doesn't develop for the Heat, they may be back to the drawing board with this Herro decision.
Nothing is straightforward or simple about the Heat's impending Herro decision. Miami finds itself in an unenviable position with Herro, and it's almost impossible to predict how this situation will all play out in the future.