The 2021-22 NBA season was one filled with a lot of positives for Tyler Herro. It was a breakout campaign for the youngster, as he averaged 20.7 points per game on his way to winning Sixth Man of the Year, and he silenced some of his critics in the process.
Unfortunately for Herro and the Miami Heat, he got injured in the playoffs and was a non-factor in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, as they narrowly lost out in 7 games. Despite that disappointment, it was still a great season for Herro, who is reportedly wanting a max extension on the back of those impressive displays.
That report had indicated that RJ Barrett was also looking for a max contract, but we saw recently that he ended up agreeing to a 4-year rookie extension worth up to $120 million. It would seem that Herro is also unlikely to get the kind of money he initially wanted, as Ira Winderman reported that he is likely to get a deal in the same region as Barrett.
via South Florida Sun Sentinal:
“While Herro is eligible for an extension up to five years at $188 million, he more likely is expected to fall into a similar range as the deal signed by Barrett. Barrett was the No. 3 selection in 2019, with Herro taken at No. 13.”
A max contract does seem a bit too much for Herro, and even the Heat, who tend to overpay when they extend their players, wouldn’t be too keen to offer him that kind of money. He isn’t on the same level as the elite players from his draft class, like Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, and Darius Garland, all of whom managed to land max extensions very early on during this offseason.
If the two sides are unable to agree on terms to an extension before the season starts, then Herro would become a restricted free agent next summer, and he’ll get to test the market like Deandre Ayton just did. All it takes is for one team to believe that a player is worth the max, as the Pacers did in the case of Ayton, and Herro would be hoping for something similar if it comes to that. He has also expressed a desire to be inserted into the starting lineup next season, and if he excels in that role, then he might have a lot of teams lining up for his services next summer.
