For a good month or so leading up to the February trade deadline, the Jimmy Butler saga hung over the Miami Heat like a cloud. The forward wanted out of Miami via trade, and he was suspended by the team multiple times before he finally got his wish and was moved to the Golden State Warriors.
In a turbulent season for Miami, guard Tyler Herro’s impressive offensive production was a constant. He led the Heat in both points and assists per game in the 2024-25 campaign and was named an All-Star for the first time as well. Heat legend Tim Hardaway gave Herro his flowers for not having a “weak mind” when the Butler saga was ongoing.
“You can’t have a weak mind,” Hardaway told Action Network.
“Tyler Herro didn’t have a weak mind. He blocked all that BS out.
“He went out there and understood what he needed to do. First of all, he wanted to be healthy. That’s his first thing.
“He wanted to come out and, and play healthy all season long, which he did. He knew what he could do.
“And once all that Butler drama happened, he said, ‘You know what? This ain’t my BS.. I’m already signed. I’m already here. Let me go out and do what I’m supposed to do for my team. I’m gonna put them on my back, I’m gonna be the leader of this team, and I’m going to try to carry this team to that next level.’
“That’s what he did. That’s what you gotta do as a basketball player.”
Herro actually averaged more points per game after the All-Star break last season than he did before (even if only slightly more), and his quality of play did not suffer after Butler’s departure.
He solidified himself as Miami’s definitive best offensive player once Butler was no longer a member of the team, but whether or not he is the Heat’s top all-around player is up for debate. Herro is certainly in the conversation, but big man Bam Adebayo is a very productive offensive player all the while being one of the premier defenders in the league.
Still, the Heat might not have been one of the eight teams in the Eastern Conference to qualify for the 2025 NBA Playoffs if not for the scoring boost Herro gave Miami in both of its play in contests. He went off for a combined 68 points across the two games, and in the game to decide the No. 8 seed in the East, he knocked down five 3-pointers in an overtime victory for the Heat.
The mental fortitude he showed when the Heat were making headlines for their quagmire with Butler did not go unnoticed by Hardaway. Hopefully, the 2025-26 season will be less drama-filled for the Heat and Herro won’t have to worry about off-the-court distractions plaguing the team.