Heat’s Tyler Herro Could Return for Game 2 of NBA Finals, per Report

Miami could be getting a major boost in the near future.

The Heat will be without guard Tyler Herro when they tip off Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Nuggets on Thursday night, but it may not be long until Miami has the key contributor back in the rotation. 

After Heat coach Erik Spoelstra ruled Herro out for Game 1 on Wednesday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that there’s a “possibility” the 23-year-old could return as soon as Game 2 on Sunday night. The Heat plan to give the 2022 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, who’s been nursing a fractured hand since Miami’s first-round series against the Bucks, a few more days of rest before testing out the injury ahead of Sunday’s tilt.

• Get your seats to the NBA Finals with SI Tickets

If Herro is unable to take the court on the road in Denver, the Heat have “confidence” that he will be available for Game 3 in Miami barring a setback, Wojnarowski reports.

Reporting for NBA Today on Miami guard Tyler Herro’s timeline for a return in the NBA Finals pic.twitter.com/gDDW8E3ROh

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 1, 2023

The timeline provided by Wojnarowski is mostly in line with the one that TNT’s Chris Haynes reported on Monday night, but it opens the door for Herro to see his first action since April 16 as early as Sunday. The Heat have managed just fine without the former No. 13 pick, defeating the Bucks, Knicks and Celtics on their way to the Finals. But Miami certainly would welcome an additional scoring option against the high-powered Nuggets.

In his fourth year with Miami, Herro averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game during the 2022-23 regular season while shooting a league-leading 93.4% from the free throw line.