Pat Riley didn't mince his words when speaking to how valuable availability is in the modern game, especially in his eyes. He said that "games played" is one of the first things he'll look for when it comes to future roster decisions.
That could put Tyler Herro, who has struggled with durability of late, in a pretty bad spot heading into contract negotiations with the Heat. In so few little words, Riley may have just revealed Herro's fate in his end-of-the-season press conference with reporters.
Herro only played in 33 regular-season games this year, and has only played in 70 regular-season games or more once in his career previously. As good as Herro is on the offensive floor, there's no question he lacks the durability that Riley may be demanding.
Asked how much recent player availability and injury history will factor into potential roster additions this offseason, Pat Riley said: "That's the first thing I'll look at -- games played."
— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) April 27, 2026
Tyler Herro's time with the Heat could be over
Even though it wouldn't be all that surprising for Herro to have already played his last game in a Heat uniform, it would be a pretty stark change in the matter of one season. At the end of the last year, Herro was fresh off his first NBA All-Star appearance, and the Heat were hoping this was just the start of an entirely new ceiling for the young guard.
However, after an injury-riddled season, in which Herro was never able to find his footing, there's a very real chance he could be on the chopping block.
Even more so considering he's about to enter the final season of his contract.
There won't be any easy decisions made by the Heat this summer, and Herro's situation does complicate many of them. Because it's almost impossible to justify Herro getting the contract extension that he's likely going to be asking for.
Not right now.
The timing of his injury-riddled season doesn't just make it practically impossible for Herro to demand any dollar figure in negotiations, but it also puts the Heat in a terrible spot. How could they, in good faith, give Herro a huge contract after the worst season (availability-wise) of his career?
They can't, and they won't.
But if they don't, that means they'll either have to trade Herro before the 2027 NBA Trade Deadline or risk losing him from nothing in free agency.
Even though the Heat haven't been afraid to walk that thin line before, I can't imagine they'd be willing to do that this time around.
Tyler Herro's trade value will be a point of discussion
Add in the fact that Herro would theoretically have to play a big role in the Heat's hunt for a star player via trade, and it makes you question everything about the next few months. Because his injury history will certainly play a role in all of that.
Just a year ago, there was an argument to be made that Herro's trade value was at an all-time high. Right now, it may be at an all-time low.
That's not ideal for a Heat team that will be hunting for a star upgrade with Herro as one of their prime trade assets.
In a perfect world, Herro would be able to fit in Miami's long-term plans. But it's going to be hard for them to accomplish what they will set out to do this summer while also keeping him on the roster.
Herro's time in Miami did feel like it was coming to an end, and Riley's press conference comments might've just confirmed that.
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