The Miami Heat will put the Los Angeles Lakers in a very undesirable position if they were to give Tyler Herro the huge contract extension he's going to be seeking on October 1. That's because Austin Reaves believes he's worth just as much on his next contract as Herro.
According to some recent reporting, Reaves believes he deserves to be paid in the Herro range. Right now, Herro is getting $30 million per season. However, that could quickly change in the matter of a few months.
In some ways, you can't help but wonder if the price tag for Reaves is similarly going to rise if Herro does get the extension some believe he's in line for. If that does happen, the Heat might be about to give the Lakers a pretty big headache moving forward.
Tyler Herro vs. Austin Reaves
It's hard to deny the fact that the Herro and Reaves comparison is a fair one. I'm not saying they're completely equal players, especially after Herro made his first All-Star team this year, but there are many similarities in their games.
Both are offensive-minded players with some clear limitations on the defensive end of the floor. At the moment, I'd lean toward Herro being the more polished player on the offensive end of the floor, but Reaves has also grown as a third option in Los Angeles.
From a pure statistical comparision, they're close.
Herro is coming off a career-best year in which he averaged 24 points, six assists, and five rebounds on 47 percent shooting from the field and 38 percent shooting from 3-point range. Reaves, on the other hand, is also coming off the best season of his career, in which he averaged 20 points, six assists, and five rebounds on 46 percent shooting from the field and 38 percent shooting from 3-point range.
The Heat's huge decision on Tyler Herro
The big decision that is awaiting the Heat on October 1 isn't just one that will greatly impact their future, which it will, but there are other dominoes across the league that will be impacted by what happens with Herro.
The Lakers and Reaves are just one example of that.
Los Angeles has some time before they must make their decision on Reaves. He has a player option for the 2026-27 season, but the overwhelming belief is that he's going to decline to hit free agency.
The Lakers want Reaves back, and you'd think that feeling is reciprocated. However, there's no question that by this time next year, especially if Herro gets his new contract, that Reaves is going to be a lot more expensive than he is now.
And the Lakers will likely be able to thank the Heat for that growing problem.