The Miami Heat made a remarkable run to the NBA Finals this season. This team was not supposed to get as far as they did. Now, they’re busy preparing for the same success in 2023-24.
What made their run so remarkable? Well, the Heat were an eight-seed. That alone made the run impressive enough. Considering that Tyler Herro was sidelined for the entire playoffs, their run was even more impressive. Herro is supposed to be one of their best offensive players.
It begs a question: are the Heat better without Herro? It’s hard not to wonder. Herro is a dynamic talent, but he can be prone to bouts of tunnel vision and inefficiency. Could the San Antonio Spurs pursue him anyway?
The Trade Proposal
Miami Heat receive: F Doug McDermott, G Devonte’ Graham, 2025 First-Round Pick (ATL via SAS)
San Antonio Spurs receive: G Tyler Herro
By contrast, the Spurs made no such Finals run. They weren’t even close. The Spurs were a lottery team this season. With that said, if you were going to play the lottery, this was the year to do it. The payout was enormous.
The Spurs won. As a result, they were able to draft Victor Wembanyama. He’s expected to be a generational prospect. If he hits his ceiling, the Spurs will be in the Finals for years to come soon. Multiple championships could be in their future. That’s the type of impact that Wembanyama is expected to have.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Tyler Herro, Miami Heat & San Antonio Spurs Updates
Still, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. The Spurs need to start making short, medium and long-term plans around Wembanyama. They could try to play the lottery again next summer. Alternatively, they could try to get Wembanyama and the rest of their young core some winning experience now. Would acquiring Herro help them do so?
Why The San Antonio Spurs Do The Deal
Frankly, we’re just not sure. Acquiring Herro could make the Spurs instantly better. Alternatively, incorporating his score-first style of basketball into their system could prove challenging. That’s fine – this is a win/win situation for San Antonio.
After all, if they do get worse, they’re back in the lottery. That’s fine. This isn’t even a short-term plan for the Spurs. It’s about the long run. If Herro and Wembanyama develop chemistry properly, they could be part of the Spurs’ next title run in a few years.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Tyler Herro, Miami Heat & San Antonio Spurs Updates
Granted, it’s not common practice for a team to surrender an unprotected first with the long-term in mind. That’s fine. This Hawks pick isn’t likely to land the Spurs a player with Herro’s talent. With that in mind, should the Heat even covet it?
Why The Miami Heat Do The Deal
Let’s table the discussion about whether Miami might be better without Herro. One thing is clear: they didn’t need him to make a run to the NBA Finals. Herro was gone, and they got there anyway.
Did they need Gabe Vincent? How about Max Struss? The Heat better hope not. They both left the squad in free agency this summer. So far, Miami hasn’t done much to replace them. That’s part of the point here. McDermott can replace their elite movement shooting, and Graham is a positional replacement for Vincent.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Tyler Herro, Miami Heat & San Antonio Spurs Updates
Still, neither are nearly as talented as Herro – and both are significantly older. That’s why Miami are landing an unprotected first here. This team is light on draft capital – if they weren’t, they might have Damian Lillard on their roster already. Imagine how much easier an NBA Finals run would be then?
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