The Miami Heat have suffered a significant blow in the lead-up to training camp, as star guard Tyler Herro has had to undergo ankle surgery. The Heat released a statement announcing the procedure, and Herro is set to be out for about two months.
“Tyler Herro underwent successful surgery today to alleviate posterior impingement syndrome in his left ankle. Herro is expected to miss around eight weeks.”
While Heat fans are understandably dismayed by the news, Herro did give them a reason to smile. He sent out a stern warning to the rest of the NBA from his hospital bed on Friday.
“Imma tear the league back down once I get off this weak a** bed.”
Herro did shine for the Heat in the 2024-25 season. The 25-year-old averaged 23.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game.
Herro was by far the Heat’s best player in the campaign, and he was rewarded for his play with a spot on the All-Star team for the first time in his career. The 2022 Sixth Man of the Year had managed to evade the injury bug as well, as he played in 77 games.
Heat president Pat Riley had called Herro fragile after the 2023-24 season, and he had responded in the best way possible. This did leave Riley and the front office in an interesting position, though.
Herro will be eligible to sign a three-year, $150 million deal with the Heat during an extension window that runs from Oct. 1 to Oct. 20. As well as he had played, this would be a huge financial commitment to make, and this injury has now complicated matters a bit more.
Here’s what Riley had to say about a potential extension for Herro in his end-of-season press conference back in May.
“The numbers are getting pretty big for a lot of guys,” Riley said. “And max salaries in this league, who do they go to? I mean, who do they go to?… If you’re going to make $70 million a year, who are those five guys or 10 that deserve that? But definitely, Tyler is deserving of the thought of an extension. But are we going to do it?
“We haven’t committed to it, but we’re going to discuss it, and I’ve already talked to him about it,” Riley added. “He’s cool.”
Herro, who is under contract through the 2026-27 season, had previously stated that he was fine with waiting till 2026 if the two sides didn’t agree on the terms for a new deal in October. He did make it clear, though, that it would cost the Heat a bit more to secure his services.
Herro would be eligible for a four-year, $207 million extension in 2026. If he returns from injury and has another strong season, the Heat might be forced to pay up.
For now, though, the Heat, who were 37-45 last season, will be more concerned about staying afloat in Herro’s absence. They had fortunately acquired Norman Powell in a three-team trade with the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz earlier this offseason, and he will be carrying a big load on offense.
This injury for Herro could also mean more game time for Davion Mitchell, whom the Heat re-signed on a two-year, $24 million deal this summer. Kasparas Jakucionis, the 20th pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, could also potentially be in line for some game time.
