Tyler Herro sends message to his doubters after Damian Lillard trade

For months, it looked like Damian Lillard would end up with the Miami Heat at some point. In the meantime, Tyler Herro‘s future in South Florida looked uncertain as he was expected to be part of a trade package to get the veteran guard.

But in the end, the Heat didn’t get Dame at all. The Portland Trail Blazers ultimately sent the 33-year-old to the Milwaukee Bucks, who were looking to pair Giannis Antetokounmpo with another star.

This gives Herro another opportunity to prove his worth in Miami. A broken hand prevented the 23-year-old from helping the team in last season’s playoffs, but now he’s determined to show he’s built for the postseason.

Tyler Herro ready to prove he’s a playoff-caliber player

“I would say really to the people that don’t think I can play in the playoffs,” Herro told Couper Moorhead of NBA.com. “I was 18-19 in the bubble and was the third best player on our team in the bubble as a rookie in the playoffs. I had 12 points [in the first half in Milwaukee] before I got hurt.

“I know I can play in the playoffs, but at the end of the day it’s just about having that opportunity. Last year I felt like I had that, then obviously I hurt my hand. That was really heartbreaking for me because I was going to have a big playoffs and then that happened. I just want that opportunity. In the playoffs, bright lights on the big stage. That’s what I’m about.”

Herro made an impression in the Orlando bubble in his rookie season, helping the Heat make the NBA Finals by averaging 16 points per game in 21 playoff games. But his stats went down in his subsequent postseason appearances.

In 2021, Herro averaged 9.3 points per game in the Heat’s first-round exit at the hands of the Bucks. He had a Rookie of the Year campaign in the 2022-23 regular season with 20.7 PPG, but his level dropped in the playoffs, averaging 12.6 points per game. Herro didn’t have a chance to redeem himself last year, but he hopes to have it this time.