Herro: Heat aren't contenders right now

Tyler Herro doesn't believe the Miami Heat, as currently constructed, are built for a deep playoff run this spring.

"It's hard to do. I don't think people realize how hard it is to win a championship, and everything has to fall in line," he said Tuesday on SiriusXM NBA Radio. "I think, right now, we started the season with Jimmy (Butler) saying we're going to try to win a championship. I think, obviously, if we're calling a spade a spade, we're not contenders right now."

However, the new Three-Point Contest champ is optimistic the team's up-and-comers will help the franchise return to the level of contention it grew accustomed to after two Finals appearances in the past five seasons.

"But I think with the team that we're trying to put together, we have a lot of young guys that can really help us win," Herro added. "Kel'el Ware's coming into his own, Niko Jovic, (Jaime) Jaquez - so I think we have a lot of young guys that are starting to really see where their role can be with the new roster we have."

Butler was one of Miami's longest-tenured players before he was shipped to the Golden State Warriors ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline. The 35-year-old demanded a trade after failing to reach an agreement on an extension, bringing a dramatic end to his five-and-a-half-year stint in South Beach.

The six-time All-Star was crucial in the Heat's two recent trips to the Finals. He averaged 22.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, six assists, and two steals through 21 games in 2020 when they fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Orlando bubble. He again led the team in scoring in the 2023 postseason, averaging 26.9 points in 22 games that included its Finals loss to the Denver Nuggets.

To Herro's point, the Heat appears to have found a diamond in the rough with Ware, the 15th overall pick in the 2024 draft. The 7-foot center played sparingly early in the regular season but has since become a mainstay in the rotation, averaging 11.9 points, eight rebounds, and 1.3 blocks while shooting 53.6/37.3/75 in 23 games (12 starts) since Jan. 1.