Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) looks on during a timeout as his team plays against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first half of their NBA preseason game at Kaseya Center on Oct. 17, 2025, in Miami. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com
Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro is expected to make his return to game action soon, but not soon enough to have a chance at a supermax contract next offseason.
Herro took part in his first practice on Sunday after undergoing surgery on his left ankle on Sept. 19, but he revealed after that practice he’s still about “a week or two” from making his season debut.
With Monday night’s matchup against the New York Knicks at Kaseya Center marking the 14th game he has missed this season, missing at least another week would take Herro beyond 17 missed games.
This is important because this means Herro won’t reach the league’s 65-game threshold in order to have a chance at meeting the criteria for the more lucrative supermax extension this upcoming offseason. For players to become eligible for postseason awards that trigger the supermax, they must play in at least 65 regular-season games or play in at least 62 regular-season games before sustaining a season-ending injury and have played in at least 85% of the regular-season games played by his team prior to that injury.
“I think it’s fair at the end of the day,” Herro said Sunday of the 65-game rule. “Some players play 40 games and have those numbers and then it’s like, it doesn’t really qualify, right? You played half the season. So at the end of the day, it’s about playing and being out there as much as you can for as many games as possible. That’s what they pay us players to do is be on the floor. So that’s what I want to do.”
Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) talks to Miami Heat guard Norman Powell (24) while on the bench during the first half of a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 10, 2025, at Kaseya Center in Miami. Alie Skowronski askowronski@miamiherald.com
Herro, 25, was eligible to sign an extension worth as much as $149.7 million with the Heat this year. But the window to sign such a deal closed on Oct. 20.
Herro’s next opportunity to sign an extension with the Heat comes next year, and that negotiating window opens July 1, 2026, and closes on June 30, 2027. He will be eligible to sign an extension worth as much as $206.9 million through four seasons during that window and would become supermax eligible (five years, $380 million) if he’s selected for an All-NBA team or receives a few other postseason honors this season.
But considering Herro won’t be eligible to make an All-NBA team or receive most postseason awards if he misses another week of games, the supermax extension will no longer be an option.
“I mean every year I try to come in with a mind-set of playing the most games possible, not necessarily for accolades or anything like that. I just want to be on the floor as much as possible,” Herro said. “That’s what they pay me to do. And last season I had a very healthy season. This season started weird for me, something I couldn’t really control. So once I’m back on the floor again, I’m going to do as much as I can to be out there for every game possible. That’s what I want to do. That’s my goal.”
Herro still has two years left on his current contract at $31 million for this season and $33 million for the 2026-27 season. So any potential extension for Herro would begin in the 2027-28 season.
For a player to qualify for a supermax extension, he must be entering his eighth or ninth season in the NBA (Herro will be entering his ninth in 2027-28) and have either: 1. Been named to an All-NBA team (first, second or third) in either the season immediately before signing the extension or both of the two seasons that preceded the most recent season. 2. Been named NBA Defensive Player of the Year in either the season immediately before signing the extension or both of the two seasons that preceded the most recent season. 3. Been named NBA MVP at least once in the previous three seasons.
Not playing in 65 games this season would make Herro ineligible for all of those postseason awards.
But at this point, Herro’s motivation extends beyond a potential extension. He wants to continue his NBA career and help this season’s Heat team.
Herro, who is in his seventh NBA season after being drafted by the Heat with the 13th overall pick in 2019, has developed into one of the most skilled scorers in franchise history. He’s already the Heat’s sixth all-time leading scorer in franchise history with 6,987 points and also ranks second in franchise history with 984 made three-pointers.
Herro finished last regular season as the Heat’s leading scorer on the way to being selected for his first NBA All-Star Game. He averaged career highs in points (23.9 points per game) and assists (5.5 per game) while shooting a career-best 47.2% from the field last regular season.
“That’s easy to figure out,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said when asked how he feels Herro will fit in the Heat’s new-look offense. “His skill level, he’s one of the most skilled guys in the league. It’s going to fit, it’s going to add. We miss him dearly. ... That offensive talent, playmaking, scoring, he can play fast, all of that really fits well.”