Should the Miami Heat offer Tyler Herro a max contract extension?

Tyler Herro has been involved in several trade rumors lately. The Miami Heat are still interested in landing NBA superstar Kevin Durant.

The Heat are willing to construct a package around the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, but Brooklyn has extremely high trade demands. As a result, Herro remains with the Heat and is preparing for the 2022/23 season.

The young sharpshooter is confident he will become a starter this season, while he views himself as a max-level player.

“In some way, I would like to start. I think it’s my fourth year, so I think I’ve earned it, and we’ll see what happens,” Herro told media after winning the Sixth Man of the Year in late May.

While Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra is expected to make Tyler Herro a starter, the Heat don’t view him as a player deserving of a max contract.

“The word on the street is definitely that both [R.J.] Barrett and Tyler Herro are looking for maximum contract extensions,” Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer said during an episode of his podcast earlier in the summer, via Heat Nation.

Tyler Herro is impressive offensively at the moment. However, he has to work on his defense and become an elite on- and off-ball defender.

The number of points he would be able to score would be irrelevant if the other team targeted him defensively and did the same thing.

Thus, Tyler Herro has to use this offseason to elevate his game to become an elite two-way player. If that happens, he will be considered an All-Star caliber and max-level player.

Boston Celtics v Miami Heat - Game Seven

For their part, the Heat have been undecided on how they will proceed with Tyler Herro. They don’t want him to become a restricted free agent next season, but they are unwilling to offer him a max contract extension either.

It is certain the two sides will engage in talks in the coming weeks, aiming to reach an agreement before the deadline (October 18).

Tyler Herro is now eligible for a five-year, max rookie extension, worth $188M. If there is no agreement between him and Miami by the opening night of the NBA, he will become a restricted free agent next summer.

However, the question is whether Tyler Herro really is a max-level player and whether the Heat should spend a lot of money on re-signing the sharpshooter guard.

Boston Celtics v Miami Heat - Game Seven

Tyler Herro not at an All-Star level yet

Tyler Herro has significantly progressed over his three years in the NBA, especially offensively.

He has gone from 13.5 points in 2019 to 15.1 points in 2020 to almost 21 points per game in the 2021/22 season (20.7).

He has become a key part of Miami’s offense. There were many times when the Heat looked lost with Herro out.

It's not enough for Tyler Herro, though, to become an All-Star caliber player, a max-level player. Herro has to prove that he is irreplaceable for the Heat. He could do so by establishing a committed and accountable work ethic.