Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro was nothing more than a trade asset the past few seasons.
He spent last summer hearing his name mentioned in the Damian Lillard trade talks. It was the same in 2022 and 2021 when the Heat were linked with the likes of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.
Now, it's time to stop calling Herro a piece. Unless you're talking centerpiece.
Herro is proving he is capable of being the leading man. He had 34 points, seven assists and six rebounds in Sunday's victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers. This season, Herro is averaging 24.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and five assists.
He's way more than just a trade chip.
"Nothing yet," Herro said when asked what he's accomplished this season. "It feels like a regular season for me. I just came in with a better mindset. I'm trying to stick to that and let it come to me and see what happens."
The Heat have won three straight. If the success continues, it should equate to an All-Star selection for Herro for the first time. He's done it while Jimmy Butler has battled injuries and Bam Adebayo dealt with inconsistency.
Herro is now the focal point of defenses.
"You've got to spend some time trying to scheme against him," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "You do that at a certain level, that helps your offense."
And Herro has helped his case for being considered a No. 1 option.
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com
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