Pat Riley thought he was past a 9-figure debate once he shipped Jimmy Butler to the West. The new CBA, tighter aprons, and comparative contracts have created a restrictive situation for the Miami Heat. The Heat president approved a five-team trade this February that brought Andrew Wiggins from the Warriors. Now he has to decide how much he should be paid. It wouldn’t have been this challenging if Riley didn’t have to consider Tyler Herro, a key player on the roster right now. And if the rumor mill is to be believed, Herro’s position on the team hangs on a very expensive thread.

Recent buzz from inside the Heat circle is that Herro feels entitled to upwards of $40 million a year. Why? He’s coming off a stellar season, averaging career-highs with 23.9 PPG and 5.5 APG and earned the first All-Star nod of his career. And there’s also another reason.

Mikal Bridges just agreed to a $150 million extension that will keep him with the Knicks for four years and make him a neat $37.5 million per year. A paycheck that seems worth the well-rounded player even if he’s not an All-Star shoo-in by some standards. Bridges and Knicks’ contract though has made a few analysts prophets.

Like Miami Heat insider, Greg Sylvander. He previously predicted that Bridges contract will set a lucrative standard for Herro to put forth his demand to Pat Riley. “With “never been an All Star & probably won’t ever be an All Star” Mikal Bridges getting 4 years $150M, you can bet Tyler Herro, particularly if he had back to back seasons at the heightened efficiency, is going to ask for all north of that salary. I expect he will want $41-42M per year at least,” Sylvander said.

As soon as Herro’s rumored $41 Million demand to Riley broke, Sylvander brought this up again. He was not alone.

Another South Florida reporter, Ira Winderman believes Bridges’ contract creates a favorable situation for Herro. The holdup, Winderman also said, is the current CBA since July 1, 2023. Even with remarkable single season resumes, the aprons make teams prioritize shedding salary.

Now the Heat only has $16 million under the second apron left. But it has two players who expect to consume all of it.

Jimmy Butler still haunts Pat Riley

When Riley, after months of tension in South Beach, dealt Jimmy Butler to Golden State, he got pieces equal to the forward’s value. That didn’t leave much for Miami to spread out in the 2025-26 season. Analysts revealed that if Butler had stayed, his expiring contract in 2026 would’ve made it lucrative for the team.

Andrew Wiggins’ projected apron salary for the upcoming season is $28.2 million with a $30 million player option next year. For Tyler Herro, it’s $33 million. He’s expecting more.

Herro becomes eligible for extension on October 1. Apparently, there were certain clauses regarding “unlikely”  bonuses tied to All-Star or other awards included in his existing contract. Now his bonuses count and creates a complicated situation with the tax aprons.

While Herro has taken the Heat through deep playoff runs, he’s got a few drawbacks on defense. That could factor into negotiations if the team wants to stay under the apron. However, Bridges’ contract will have a ripple effect from New York to Miami.

Agents right now are not afraid to demand the ‘maximum’ while teams are only willing to offer the bare minimum that guarantees roster flexibility. Now forking over amounts as high as $40 million doesn’t feel worthwhile if a teams can’t match the salaries in trades.

Miami seems long past its Big3 days and investing in superstars. Draft picks and trade deadlines make more business sense to the team. They could potentially deny Herro what he wants and result would be Butler-esque with more than one team – including the Celtics as per rumors – interested in him. If Tyler Herro becomes a franchise player or defects, we’ll probably know before October.