As the NBA world marches along through the middle of August, trade rumors continue to dominate every single question pertaining to the 2023-24 season. Not only has James Harden and his drama with the Philadelphia 76ers been a focal point, but Damian Lillard's situation continues to be the main focus of the Miami Heat. As a result, Tyler Herro's future in Miami remains very uncertain.
Should the Heat be able to pull off a trade for the Blazers' All-Star guard, it is almost foregone conclusion that Herro would be included in the framework of said deal. However, Portland does not have much interest in acquiring Herro, according to Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer, which would result in a third team having to get involved.
Could this third team that swoops in and grabs the Heat's former Sixth Man of the Year be the Toronto Raptors?
This offseason has not been kind to the Raptors. They lost All-Star point guard Fred VanVleet to the Houston Rockets in free agency and the direction of this franchise has been in question with Pascal Siakam's name coming up in trade rumors. There truly is no clear path for Toronto right now, which is why nobody really knows what Masai Ujiri and this front office are up to.
If they were ready to go through some type of rebuild though, Siakam likely would have been traded and the Raptors would not have brought in players like Dennis Schroder and Jalen McDaniels in free agency. This organization still believes that they have what it takes to compete in the Eastern Conference, which is why another notable move could be on the horizon in order for them to add more talent to their roster.
He may not be an All-Star, but Herro has consistently improved over his four seasons in the league and he can absolutely be a key secondary star on a championship-contending team. In fact, he was arguably the second-best offensive player in Miami this past season alongside Jimmy Butler!
Already having the experience of being to the NBA Finals and proving that he can play off the ball alongside other stars, Herro could actually raise some eyebrows in Toronto as a potential target.
How the Raptors can pursue Herro
At some point, it seems like the Blazers and the Heat will come to an agreement on a trade involving Lillard. From Miami's point of view, this deal is all about getting the Trail Blazers the value that they are looking for. Assuming veteran guard Kyle Lowry would be moved, along with multiple draft picks and another secondary talent, the Heat moving Herro would be a essential in order for them to acquire Lillard.
A third team is going to need to get involved in this deal to acquire Herro and there is a way that Toronto could enter the mix. Just over a month before training camp, Toronto has 16 players on their active roster, including Jeff Dowtin Jr. and his non-guaranteed contract. Their payroll currently exceeds $160 million, meaning the Raptors do not have any flexibility financially and would have to come close to matching Herro's $27 million salary for the 2023-24 season.
It would be difficult for them to do, but the Raptors could make a trade like this work if they would be willing to part ways with either Gary Trent Jr. or OG Anunoby. Obviously, Anunoby holds more value to them both in the short-term and long-term given his two-way presence, which is why Trent would be the player moved in this scenario.
Known for his three-point shooting abilities, Trent shot 36.9 percent from the perimeter last season and has shot 37.4 percent from long-range over the last two and a half seasons in Toronto. Entering the final year of his contract, the 24-year-old could be a valuable addition for either the Blazers or the Heat, especially since Miami just lost both Gabe Vincent and Max Strus in free agency.
This is not a proposed deal by any means, but to lay out a scenario that could work financially for all three teams, Toronto could give up Malachi Flynn and a first-round pick to the Blazers, along with Trent to the Heat, to facilitate a deal where they would acquire Herro and his $27 million contract. Again, this is something that is unlikely to happen, but this is just to show what kind of value would be needed in order to get involved in a potential Lillard deal. Then, the next step would be the Heat and Blazers sorting out what additional draft picks and players would be involved.
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If they want to try and acquire Herro without trading Trent or Anunoby, the Raptors could look to dangle Thaddeus Young, who is in the final year of his contract, and Chris Boucher, who is under contract through the 2024-25 season. Packaging Young and Boucher together is not that viable of a scenario, though, especially since neither player presents much value.
The idea of moving Trent, Flynn, and a draft pick for Herro is not bad whatsoever for the Raptors, especially since the Heat guard can fill holes left by both players. With Miami, Herro proved that he could play with the ball in his hands and be a point guard option for his team. Plus, he has shot 38.7 percent from three-point range over the last two seasons and would instantly be a source of scoring in the backcourt next to Barnes and Siakam.
Financially speaking, the Raptors have the ability to be involved in these trade discussions centered around Lillard, and landing Herro is a viable solution to the problems they have faced this offseason.
Herro's fit in Toronto
They can definitely make a trade for Herro happen, but do the Raptors actually want him?
Offensively, Herro is everything Toronto is lacking in their backcourt. He's a really strong secondary ball-handler and would be the playmaker this team is missing now that VanVleet is in Houston. Siakam cannot do everything for the Raptors and Barnes has yet to prove that he can be an elite scorer, which is why Herro would provide a sense of confidence and calmness on that end of the floor.
Defensively, he is a liability and does not fit the Raptors' style of play. For years now, teams have looked to get Herro involved in pick-and-roll sets, forcing the action onto him since he is a weaker defender. He often gets lost on the perimeter and this is the one area of the Heat guard's game that he must improve upon to fully live up to his potential. This is not saying that Herro can't play defense, but this would be an area of concern the Raptors would take into consideration.
The fact of the matter right now in Toronto is that they lack the talent to be a real threat. If they aren't going to rebuild, then the organization must be willing to sacrifice future assets and contracts that will not be utilized in order to try and win right now.
Players like Trent and Flynn are in the final year of their respective contracts. Flynn has been underutilized since being drafted and Trent has been nothing more than a perimeter shooting threat for this team. Maybe one or both players will see their roles increase under new head coach Darko Rajakovic, but Herro would be an instant upgrade on the offensive end of the floor. For the price of two secondary talents and a first-round pick, they could possibly land him.
When looking at the long-term future of this franchise, though, it is hard to view Herro as a player the Raptors must target. He is owed $120 million through the 2026-27 season and with the state of their roster, this would be a lot of money for Toronto to tie themselves down to.
Should things go south and Siakam and/or Anunoby wind up being traded in the next year, this team will be stuck with Herro and his contract. It's definitely not a bad deal given his production, but absorbing this type of deal takes options away from the Raptors moving forward in terms of how they can add personnel.
If the value is right and Toronto can sneak in to grab Herro, Raptors fans will be thrilled. Then again, going out and acquiring him from Miami seems like a move that would set up a future trade, as he is not the final piece in their championship equation. The Raptors have decisions to make moving forward and right now, it does not seem as if getting involved in a multi-team trade is on their agenda.
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