The Miami Heat have been patiently awaiting the return of starting point guard Tyler Herro, who has yet to make his 2025-26 season debut after undergoing offseason ankle surgery.
After the team recently announced Herro would be sidelined for the next one to two weeks, he may have unintentionally put himself in an even deeper hole.
If his timeline holds, Herro won’t be eligible for All-NBA consideration or any major awards, having failed to reach the league-mandated 65-game minimum. Why does this matter? Because missing that threshold could cost Herro up to $173 million, as he would also become ineligible for a max-contract extension.
By being out another week or two it means Herro will not be eligible for All-NBA and therefore a max extension.
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) November 16, 2025
Heat president Pat Riley announced during the 2025 offseason that the organization would have to wait on offering Herro a max deal, with Miami prioritizing new contracts for Bam Adebayo and Nikola Jović.
Had Herro and the Heat come to an agreement beforehand, he could've signed a four-year, $206.9 million extension, averaging over $50 million annually. But had he been available from the start of the season and hit the 65-game minimum, his max extension would’ve ballooned to a staggering five-year, $380 million contract.
The $173 million difference is astronomical for both Herro and the Heat organization.
Unfortunately for Herro, durability has been an ongoing issue; he’s played 65 or more games in just three of his six NBA seasons. During the 2024-25 campaign, however, he put together one of the strongest years of his career, averaging 23.9 points and 5.5 assists on 47.2% shooting across 77 starts.
The former 13th overall pick has been a key contributor to Miami’s playoff success, helping the team reach the NBA Finals in both 2020 and 2023. And at just 25 years old, he still has plenty of time — and plenty of opportunities — to earn a max deal in the future.
For now, Herro will have to sit back and wait until he’s cleared. Ironically, that same wait just cost him $173 million.
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