Heat may reassess Tyler Herro-Bam Adebayo core soon

Jul 28, 2025 1:52 PM

Should the Heat struggle again this season, it may trigger serious internal evaluation of the franchise’s most established player combination, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

In his offseason mailbag, Winderman emphasizes that everyone within the organization – from top executives to head coach Erik Spoelstra – is well aware that the team’s recent performance hasn’t met Miami’s traditionally high expectations.

After two consecutive seasons finishing as the No. 8 seed and suffering early playoff exits, the Heat find themselves facing growing pressure to reassess the status quo.

While Jimmy Butler’s presence – and his inconsistency due to injuries and off-court distractions – has undoubtedly influenced the team’s fortunes, Winderman points to the long-running partnership of Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo as potentially reaching a crossroads.

He suggests that this year may serve as a pivotal moment that determines whether that duo remains a core piece of Miami’s future.

Herro reached new personal milestones last season, averaging career-best numbers in both points (23.9) and assists (5.5), and earning his first All-Star nod.

However, that offensive growth came as Adebayo’s production dipped, with his scoring falling to its lowest level since 2019–20.

More critically, the pairing didn’t translate into wins: the Heat finished the regular season with a disappointing 37–45 record, their worst showing in ten years.

To address some of those shortcomings, Miami made a clear “win-now” move by acquiring veteran scorer Norman Powell in the offseason – an effort to add consistency and firepower to the rotation.

As Winderman notes, this move comes with expectations.

With Butler potentially moving on, this coming campaign will mark the first full season of the Heat’s post-Butler era, and it could be a defining one for Herro and Adebayo’s future with the franchise.