Report reveals when Tyler Herro will likely return for Heat

Mar 29, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) warms up before a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

When Tyler Herro broke his hand in the first game of the playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks, his season was expected to be over unless the Miami Heat could pull off a miracle and make the NBA Finals without him. Now that miracle has actually happened, opening the door for Herro to return.

After Miami beat the Boston Celtics in Game 7 on Monday to win the East, TNT’s Chris Haynes reported that the former Sixth Man of the Year Herro is ramping up his workouts and is expected to return at some point during the Heat’s Finals series against the Denver Nuggets. Haynes adds that the likely target date for Herro is Game 3 in Miami.

The Finals tip off on June 1 with the first two games set to be played in Denver. Game 3 is scheduled for June 7, which would mark about seven-and-a-half weeks since Herro first broke his hand (and roughly six-and-a-half weeks since Herro underwent surgery).

Herro has already been cleared for basketball activities, so now it all boils down to strengthening his hand and getting his conditioning back up to par. Having Herro back might mean that somebody like Kyle Lowry or Duncan Robinson gets their minutes cut. But Herro’s return would obviously be a very welcome sight for many (not the least of whom is Stan Van Gundy).