Charlotte Hornets must push to acquire Miami’s Tyler Herro

MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 08: Tyler Herro #14 of the Miami Heat shoots against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter of the game at Miami-Dade Arena on March 08, 2023 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 08: Tyler Herro #14 of the Miami Heat shoots against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter of the game at Miami-Dade Arena on March 08, 2023 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Charlotte Hornets were recently named as a team that could be interested in acquiring the services of Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat. Charlotte must take a step beyond just being interested and put on a full-court press to land Herro. While Charlotte’s involvement and subsequent trade talks are dependent on the Portland Trail Blazers dealing Damian Lillard to Miami, the Hornets must do just about anything in order to make that happen.

At just 23 years old, Herro is a very talented player who would align very well with the current roster makeup in Charlotte. LaMelo Ball (22), Mark Williams (21), P.J. Washington (25), and Brandon Miller (20) figure to be key players for the Hornets in the short and long term. Finding a way to add another player to their starting lineup, such as Herro, would help speed up their rebuild while at the same time maintaining roster integrity for the future.

Inserting Herro into Charlotte’s starting lineup instead of Terry Rozier could lead to instant success for this Hornets team. Herro is a better three-point shooter than Rozier on the same amount of attempts per game (8.0), making three shots from deep on 37.8% shooting last year compared to the latter’s 2.6 makes on 32.7%. Additionally, Herro’s effective field goal percentage is nearly five percent higher than Rozier’s (53.1%-48.4%). Charlotte must find a way to be a better team from long range, and it is quite clear that Herro can help in that area.

The Hornets are a team that has to operate in a certain manner, and that is by building through the draft and trades. Charlotte is not a free-agent destination, and while they can sign players in free agency, it is going to require an overpay that does not age well. A much better approach is becoming involved in a trade as a third or fourth team to facilitate a trade, such as Lillard to Miami. If the Heat and Trail Blazers end up agreeing on a deal for Lillard that requires moving Herro, the Hornets must make sure that they are the team that acquires his services.