The Miami Heat decided to trade Tyler Herro in the offseason. He was the centerpiece of the package that was able to bring Giannis Antetokounmpo in return. Herro will now play for the Bucks next season, while the Heat bring in a top-five player.
For the last few years, Herro’s name has been swirling in trade rumors. Prior to this trade, he was rumored to be the centerpiece of a trade package to try to get Damian Lillard. Had they failed to get Antetokounmpo, Herro would have been part of a package to try to get Kawhi Leonard.
Heat president Pat Riley recently revealed that Herro let these rumors affect him quite a bit.
GettyMiami Heat guard Tyler Herro shoots the ball in a game. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
Pat Riley Claims Trade Rumors Affected Tyler Herro Deeply With the Heat
While speaking on The Dan LeBatard Show, Riley revealed that Herro had issues with his name popping up in rumors so often.
“If your name pops up in a trade, and it’s just a rumor, because everything is a rumor today. It’s from social media…I tell them it’s going to happen. Don’t get upset. It affected Tyler for many years. Every single trade had him in it. Every single trade had someone else in it.”
Herro clearly started to resent the fact that Miami was perceived to want to ship him out of town. They did ultimately trade him, but Riley believes he let the rumors affect his play. The Heat still liked him enough to think he was good enough to be the centerpiece of a trade to get a top-five player.
Miami is hoping to win a championship soon after making this trade with as much as they gave up for Antetokounmpo. Herro had availability problems, though. He played just 33 games last season, and almost every counting stat he had took a dip from a year ago.
GettyMiami Heat forward Giannis Antetokounmpo poses for a photo. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Miami is Under Enormous Pressure to Win it All
This trade has made it very clear that Riley is going all-in to win another title late in his tenure. Making this move sapped a lot of the team’s depth, but it gave them one of the best players in the world. Antetokounmpo is perhaps the best two-way player in the world.
Last season, Miami had the fastest pace in the league. That will likely change with Antetokounmpo on the roster, as he likes to play at a slower pace. He doesn’t play at a glacial pace, but the half-court offense will look different from what it was this past season.
The Heat are going to be one of the teams that are expected to be one of the top teams in the East. The Eastern Conference has gotten significantly better as a conference in the last two years. That will make it tougher for the Heat to win, but they believe in their frontcourt.
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