Tyler Herro Opens Up About Miami Heat’s Chances Without Jimmy Butler

Bryan Townes | Feb 19, 2025

Feb 16, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; Kennyís Young Stars guard Tyler Herro (14) of the Miami Heat controls the ball against Chuckís Global Stars during the 2025 NBA All Star Game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The Miami Heat have made three Eastern Conference and two Finals appearances since 2020.

Unfortunately, Jimmy Butler led the team each of those years. Since trading him to the Golden State Warriors, the Heat’s roster has been the youngest in many years. 

Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo are the remaining stars who will lead the Heat’s younger players. Both of them are entering their prime years and are several years under 30. Herro has played at an All-Star level for most of this year, and Bam Adebayo has returned to his All-Star caliber since moving to power-forward alongside Kel’el Ware.

During All-Star weekend, Herro was asked about the Heat’s expectations for the rest of the year. He was honest about the difficulty of succeeding in the playoffs, and the team's still adjusting to losing Butler for the first time.

“I don’t think people realize how hard it is to win a championship,” Herro said. “Everything has to fall in line. But I think right now, we started the season with Jimmy saying we’re gonna try to win a championship. I think, obviously, if we’re calling a spade a spade, we’re not contenders right now.”

The Heat are 12-16 without Butler this year. The good news is their losing record hasn’t factored in the new additions they acquired at the trade deadline. Andrew Wiggins and Davion Mitchell have already shown how much they bolster the team’s defense. After the All-Star break, the Heat's goal is to fix their offense, which will require contributions from their young core of Ware, Nikola Jovic, and Jaime Jaquez.

“But I think with the team we’re trying to put together, we have a lot of young guys that can really help us win,” Herro continued. “Kel’el Ware’s coming into his own, Niko Jovic, and Jaquez. I think we have a lot of young guys that are starting to really see where their role can be with the new roster we have.”

NBA CHAMPION PRAISES MIAMI HEAT’S KEL’EL WARE FOR “LIMITLESS” POTENTIAL

After not being in the Miami Heat’s rotation for the majority of the first half of the season, Kel’el Ware has thrived ever since he became their new starting center.

Since earning starter minutes, Ware has averaged 12.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks on 47.3 percent shooting and 23.6 percent from three-point range.

Standing at 7 feet, Ware gave the Heat much-needed size alongside Bam Adebayo. The big man duo has raised their defensive ceiling, as Ware protects the rim and Adebayo roams all over the court as a phenomenal help-defender. 

While his offensive skills aren’t as polished yet, Ware gives Tyler Herro another lob threat whenever he drives to the basket. His size has also allowed him to take advantage of potential offensive rebounds and putback baskets.

Bobby Portis wasn’t surprised by Ware’s sudden rise to a starting position as a rookie. In an interview with NBA.com’s Steve Aschburner, Portis explained how he heard of his talent back when Ware was in grade school.

“Heard about him when he was in sixth grade,” Portis said. “He had a lot of raw talent, but at first, his biggest thing was he didn’t have a motor. He didn’t really play hard. I like that he’s with the Heat because, obviously, they’ll instill that motor in him. He’ll work, and then he’ll just keep getting better. His upside is limitless.”

The Heat are moving in a much younger direction after trading Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors. Ware is undoubtedly one of the key players for their future success. Portis believes landing with the Heat was a perfect fit for his career improvement if he continues to work hard.

“He’s got a super-bright future,” Portis continued. “A chance to make a lot of money. He’s got to keep his head on straight. Stay out of trouble. Keep working hard. He’s with a great organization to keep him focused. But the biggest things are staying confident, and going out there, and stacking good game after good game. See where you end up at.”

MIAMI HEAT’S TYLER HERRO WINS THREE-POINT CONTEST AT ALL-STAR WEEKEND

Despite the Miami Heat's start to the season highlighted by plenty of drama due to Jimmy Butler’s eventual exit, Tyler Herro has been one of the team's main bright spots.

Herro has had a career year in nearly every aspect of his game. He has statistically improved in multiple categories, which has led to his first All-Star appearance.

Another event he was selected to participate in was the Three-Point contest. Although he’s struggled from the perimeter for several consecutive games, those struggles didn’t prevent him from winning the competition.

Herro scored 19 in the event's first round and trailed Buddy Hield’s 31 and Darius Garland’s 24. Damian Lillard, who has won the contest two straight times, came up two points short of eliminating Herro as he moved to the contest's final round.

In the last round, Herro finished with a very respectable 24 points. Hield and Garland couldn’t continue their hot shooting from the previous round, as they both came up short with 23 and 17 points.

Herro became the fifth Heat player to win the Three-Point contest. The others who won were Glen Rice in 1995, Jason Kapono in 2007, Daequan Cook in 2009, and James Jones in 2011.

The next event for Herro to participate in is the All-Star game representing the Eastern Conference.

Bryan Townes is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at btownesjr@gmail.com or on X @bryantownesjr11. Follow our coverage on Facebook.