Heat guard Tyler Herro won’t be available on opening night — and possibly much longer.
Herro, who put together a career year for Miami in 2024-25, underwent “successful surgery to alleviate posterior impingement syndrome in his left ankle,” the Heat announced Friday.
The team noted that he’s expected to miss “around eight weeks.”
Earlier reports suggested the timeline could be 8-12 weeks, which would land Herro’s return sometime between mid-November and mid-December.
The Miami Herald reported that Herro was first attempting to recover from the injury without surgery.
Herro, 25, suffered the setback during the offseason and had opted for platelet-rich plasma and cortisone injections in the weeks leading up to the decision to undergo surgery as the ailment persisted.
Eight weeks from Herro’s procedure would mark the Heat’s 13th game of the season, which would be against the Knicks in New York.
Herro’s procedure comes at a perilous time, given his contract situation.
The Heat haven’t yet decided to extend the All-Star guard, who has two years left on his deal before he’s set to hit the open market in 2027.
Herro averaged a career-best 23.9 points with 5.5 assists and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 47.2 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from 3-point range and 87.8 percent on free throws.
Even with his regular-season production, Herro spectacularly flamed out in the playoffs, which has been a theme in his Heat career.
In a four-game sweep by the Cavaliers over the Heat, in which Miami was outscored by an NBA record 122 points, Herro saw his production drop to 17.8 points per contest, while only grabbing 3.5 rebounds and dishing out 2.8 assists.
He shot 41.5 percent and just 31 percent from deep, notable drop-offs from the regular season.
The Heat acquired Clippers guard Norman Powell over the summer, who’ll likely fit seamlessly in a similar role.
Powell comes in having averaged 21.8 points per game while shooting 48.4 percent from the field last year.
Herro’s absence will also put even more of a spotlight on Bam Adebayo and will provide opportunities for some of the team’s younger players, like swingman Nikola Jovic and second-year center Kel’el Ware.
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