When the Miami Heat drafted Tyler Herro back in 2019, it was clear they got their hands on another talented player that flew under the radar. Herro’s rookie season featured several standout performances and clutch shooting. He made his mark on a nationally televised stage during the Heat’s 2020 bubble NBA Finals run.
Herro averaged 19.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists in Miami’s 4-2 Eastern Conference finals win over the Boston Celtics that year. He torched them in Game 4 of the series with 37 points off the bench on 14 of 21 shooting. Just two seasons after, he became the league’s Sixth Man of the Year.
Unfortunately for the Heat and Herro, it has seemed like he hasn’t been able to make as much of an impact compared to his earlier seasons. If it is injuries, it is consistency issues in his overall performance. He was sidelined for the entirety of the Heat’s 2023 Finals run and missed 40 games during last season due to ankle and foot injuries.
With Herro set to make just shortly below $30 million next season, he is considered a big part of Miami’s core. Somehow, Herro has survived trade rumors for several consecutive offseasons. But if availability and/or performance issues arise yet again, he could be running out of chances.
Let’s go over a handful of options that the Heat could replace with Herro’s services.
1. Zach LaVine
Somewhat similar to Herro’s situation in South Beach, Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls has been battling trade rumors for quite some time. The issue with a potential LaVine trade for the Bulls is his ridiculous overpaid contract. He has suffered injury and consistency issues himself in Chicago throughout the years.
LaVine is not known as a playoff performer either, and has a lot of flaws on the defensive side of the ball. He is set to make just over $43 million for the 2024-25 season, making it close to an impossible contract to unload for his caliber. Although a change of scenery could always provide a chance for LaVine to build back up his stock.
As a former NBA All-Star, he has been able to put together some really strong scoring seasons in Chicago when healthy. Between 2020-2023, Lavine has averaged 25.5 points. If the Bulls front office is willing to attach a draft pick or two as a sweetener, the Heat (who lack draft capital) could be enticed to take the risk.
2. Jerami Grant
Back to Pat Riley’s good old buddy Joe Cronin with the Portland Trail Blazers, they have a pair of pretty attractive win-now pieces to trade for. Jerami Grant is another name that’s been floated around the trade market, and could provide the Heat with the best frontcourt partner for Bam Adebayo of his entire career.
Grant is coming off a season in which he averaged 21 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists on 45.1% shooting. He can also spread the floor for a 6-foot-7 forward, going 40% from 3-point range just a year ago. This is the ideal, small-ball type of power forward that Erik Spoelstra loves to work with.
Although he isn’t a guard who can essentially “replace” Herro, he is still a really solid third-scoring option to place behind Jimmy Butler and Adebayo.
There is a plethora of two-way versatility with Grant, something that Heat brass loves when it comes to bringing in new players. The only issue comes with negotiations between Cronin, who reportedly was unrealistic yet again on trade talks with the LA Lakers this summer on a potential Grant trade.
3. Malcolm Brogdon
The second Portland piece that has been available on the market is Malcolm Brogdon. A Herro swap between the two could trade places for a pair of former Sixth Man of the Year award winners. Brogdon brings competitiveness and outside shooting to the table and has made a pair of playoff runs for the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks.
He is coming off a season for Portland where he averaged 15.7 points, 5.5 assists and 3.8 rebounds. Brogdon is a career 39% 3-point shooter and shot a career-high from that department two seasons ago in Boston at 44%. Being only 31, there are still several elite shooting years ahead of him in this league.
Both Brogdon and Grant could be game-changing trade pieces for a contender, but they have had some injury issues. Brogdon appeared in just 39 games a season ago and is more injury-prone than Herro. Maybe a change of scenery could be enough to ignite more of a commitment to being available, but trade still doesn’t get done without an agreement from the stubborn Cronin.
4. Brandon Ingram
Now it has reached the part of this list that features the most explosive offensive options to replace Herro. Brandon Ingram has not been able to come to a contract extension with the New Orleans Pelicans. Some expected Ingram to force a trade by now, but it seems like he may rely on his individual game to prove to teams he is worth the money.
5. Trae Young
By far the greatest possible replacement for Herro could come from the Atlanta Hawks with Trae Young. The Hawks have been in no-man’s land for several years following their surprising Eastern Conference finals run back in 2021. They haven’t even been able to reach the second round ever since.
Rebuilding may not be the best situation for a polarizing player of Young’s caliber. He and his former backcourt partner, Dejounte Murray, have been in trade rumors for a year now. Murray finally got out of there earlier this summer with a long-overdue trade to the Pelicans.
Young is the last domino standing who could find his way out of Atlanta. He is a three-time NBA All-Star and coming off a season averaging 25.7 points, 10.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds on 43/37/86 splits. Known as one of the best passers in the game, Young could bring Adebayo and even newly drafted Kel’el Ware’s games to the next level.
Ultimately, a straight-up Herro-for-Young swap wouldn’t be enough to land the talented 25-year-old guard, but Herro could be a big centerpiece in any discussions between the Hawks and Heat.