It’s a new beginning for Tyler Herro, and this one starts in Milwaukee, where he’ll join Myles Turner, Kyle Kuzma, and Kel’el Ware on a rebuilding Bucks team. While not the change of scenery he was hoping for, Herro has no choice but to make the best of it after seven seasons with the Heat.
What’s worse is that Herro isn’t departing on good terms. While his relationship with the front office seems fine, he’s been clashing with Heat fans online, with one heated Instagram conversation spanning several weeks. In the end, Herro went off on the fan for leaking their private DMs, which contained certain controversial takes about his former star teammate, Bam Adebayo.
“You lame as hell,” wrote Herro. “You screenshotting now? Say no more champ… It’s okay you lame asab. You fanned out. Like we said from the beginning.”
Herro had been going back and forth with this person for a while, dating back to before the Giannis trade. It initially started as a respectable conversation, but the fan was eventually blocked after he leaked the private DMs online. That was a step too far for Tyler, and it showed the world just how sour the situation had become. More than that, it exposed a fundamental flaw in the Bam-Herro duo that explains why their partnership could never work.
At 26 years old, with career averages of 19.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game on 48.0% shooting and 37.8% shooting from three, Herro is a talented scorer, but he works best as a third option rather than a second option, which is what he became after Jimmy Butler’s departure. That’s why he routinely failed to live up to expectations in Miami, and why he was always feeling pressure to improve his overall production.
Seemingly, Herro was jealous of how much Bam was adored by fans and protected by the Heat organization. According to Herro, he took too much blame when things went wrong, while Bam frequently got a pass for his shortcomings. Now that he’s traded, he’s been dropping subtle hints that Adebayo is just not that guy. Nevertheless, there’s no going back now, and the Bucks offer Herro something he’s yet to experience: a fresh start in the NBA.
On a team with no expectations, Herro will have the ultimate green light, and it could result in his best stretch yet as a pro. While there are rumors the Bucks could trade the veteran shooting guard, any deal is considered unlikely at this time, even with another two years and $64 million left on his deal.
For the Heat, Herro’s departure is bittersweet. While many fans are disappointed with how this turned out, many others are glad that the ordeal is over now. He and Bam clearly did not see eye to eye, and it was never going to work with those two running the show. Now, Herro can try his luck elsewhere while Miami can ride with the combined talents of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, and Andrew Wiggins to prosperity in the East.
