It may be time for Miami Heat fans to embrace what they are - and currently, they're a team built on the foundation of Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. For better or worse, the Heat is likely locked into this reality for the foreseeable future.
As NBA insider Jake Fischer notes, the mindset for the Heat moving forward is to add to the core of Bam and Herro, and not necessarily to subtract from it. While there's theoretically a chance that the Heat could trade one of those two players, it's not very likely.
And instead of exploring either one of those scenarios, the Heat's front office is more likely to look to make moves that would add this this team's already established core (of Bam and Herro) and not to break it up. There's always a chance that could change in the near future, but fans should not expect it to.
Miami committed long-term to Bam a few years ago with a max extension, and it shouldn't be all that surprising if they did the same with Herro. Even if that doesn't happen during the October extension window for him, it will almost certainly happen next summer.
The young core will play a vital role for the Heat's future
Should that be the way the future for the Heat pans out, the team's development of the young core becomes that much important. If the Heat locks themselves into paying close to max money for both Bam and Herro, they're going to need their young core to develop into the supporting cast that is needed to help the team make the leap toward contention.
With how the Heat's roster is currently built, they're not there yet. But, for example, if Kasparas Jakucionis and Nikola Jovic make a big leap in their individual development over the next year or two, it could certainly shift the narrative surrounding this team. Perhaps most importantly, it would also raise their ceiling over the next few years.
That's what the Heat have to be hoping for, especially if (or when) they move forward with an extension for Herro. Miami may not have much wiggle room for its future, but I don't think they want to lose Herro for pennies on the dollar or, worse, nothing.
The unfortunate alternative to that is signing him to an extension that would almost certainly make him the second-biggest foundational piece in Miami. For better or worse, the Heat are "stuck' with Herro and Bam. It may be time for Heat fans to finally realize that.