Miami Heat Proposed to Trade Tyler Herro for All-Star PG in Shocking Deal

Jake Elman | Nov 18, 2024

Nov 17, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

If the Miami Heat intend on winning the NBA Finals, how does a Big Three featuring Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler and Trae Young sound?

At 5-7, the Heat are still looking to find their groove. Butler has missed the Heat’s last four games with a lingering ankle injury. Miami hasn’t won consecutive games since Oct. 26-28. 

Some have suggested Damian Lillard or Giannis Antetokounmpo could fix the Heat’s woes. Perhaps Young, the Atlanta Hawks’ three-time All-Star, is the answer instead.

Bleacher Report proposed the following deal between the Heat and Hawks:

Heat receive: Trae Young and Larry Nance Jr.

Bucks receive: Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Duncan Robinson, and a 2029 unprotected first-round pick

The good news for Heat fans? Such a move would allow Miami to acquire a proven superstar without trading Adebayo or Butler. 

Trae is the 6th-youngest player in NBA history to reach 4,000 assists

And he makes the difficult look easy ❄️ pic.twitter.com/2obNeFV9D7

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 17, 2024

“A core of Young, Butler, Bam Adebayo, Terry Rozier, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jović and others would become a true threat in the East once again given Young’s scoring and playmaking,” the article argued.

Young, who turned 26 in September, is averaging 23.8 points and a career-high 11.1 assists in the early going. However, he’s only hitting a career-low 38.9 percent of his field-goal attempts.

Unfortunately for the Heat, any potential trade involving a big-name player like Antetokounmpo, Lillard, or Young likely means Herro’s departure. Herro entered Monday’s game against the 76ers averaging career-highs in points (24.8) and assists (5.2) in 12 games. He’s also added 4.9 rebounds and a stellar 49.3 field-goal percentage.

Tyler Herro WENT OFF again from three tonight:

28 points
4 rebounds
4 assists
7/11 3P pic.twitter.com/bsJkGqjqti

— Playbook Sports (@PlaybookSN) November 18, 2024

However, Bleacher Report may be putting too much faith in that proposed core. Butler is a 35-year-old with durability issues. Rozier has been mired in a deep shooting slump all year. 

Still, Young would be an exciting new face in Miami, and the Heat need another playmaker if they plan on winning their first title in over a decade.

SPOELSTRA PREDICTED TO TAKE OVER TEAM USA

Miami Heat coach and three-time NBA champion Erik Spoelstra added an Olympic gold medal to his trophy case last summer. 

If Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle is correct, Spoelstra will eventually earn another gold medal—except next time, it’ll come in the big seat.

Speaking to reporters before Sunday’s Heat-Pacers game, Carlisle said he believes Spoelstra will be considered among the all-time great coaches when his career ends. Carlisle added he expects Spoelstra to eventually become the U.S. Olympic coach.

Spoelstra, 54, joined Team USA in December 2021. He coached the 2021 Select Team that trained against the 2020 U.S. Olympic team.

ROBINSON CONTINUES STRONG PLAY OFF BENCH

On Sunday, Duncan Robinson did everything he could to help the Miami Heat against the Indiana Pacers.

Robinson finished with 20 points, shooting 6 of 10 from the field, including going perfect from the line (3 for 3), 5 of 7 from the three-point line. He also had four rebounds, and four assists in 31 minutes.

Because the Heat were shorthanded, Robinson took advantage of the opportunities.

Robinson hit a big shot in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 97-97, but afterward, all the momentum went toward the Pacers. The Heat’s defense couldn’t slow down the Pacers offense.

“Just didn’t get stops down the stretch,” Robinson said. “We were scoring enough, couldn’t find a way to get stops.”

COULD HEAT TRADE BUTLER?

The Miami Heat may need to shake up parts of their roster to compete for an NBA championship, but it appears the front office is not acting hastily.

The Heat have a 5-7 record, placing them on a similar trajectory to previous seasons with a Play-In Tournament appearance. If that same outcome seems imminent by January, then the Heat should understandably look in one of two major directions.

Either trade Butler to begin retooling the roster, or add win-now pieces in hopes of vaulting themselves back into title contention. Regardless of their route, ESPN and NBA Insider Tim Bontemps is confident the Heat will take their time in the process.

"Miami came into the season with lots of questions about its future. After a middling start to the season, including Jimmy Butler going down with an ankle injury, those questions remain," Bontemps wrote. "Given the extraordinarily forgiving nature of the East, don't expect Miami to make any early moves. Entering the season, the Heat wanted to see how their roster would look and then evaluate from there. That thought process hasn't changed."

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Jake Elman works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at jakeelman97@gmail.com or follow him on X @JakeElman97.