The most disappointing Heat players in 2025-26

The Heat’s 2026 campaign has been an endless stream of letdowns, but none have had as much of an impact as Tyler Herro’s absences. This was supposed to be the year he validated his worth coming off an all-star season, and he was supposed to develop a deadly one-two punch with Norman Powell, but that’s yet to happen.

To his credit, he has been an offensive force in 11 outings, although the team’s record in the games he played is 4-7. It’s not all on him because throwing in a player like him into the mix can affect the guys who were getting more usage than normal, but he is still not a good defender, and it only gets harder to guard as you go deeper in the playoffs.

It almost seems like a miracle, at this point, if Herro becomes a contributor this year. Coach Erik Spoelstra still has to find the right rotation to cover his weaknesses, and there’s no indication of when he’ll return.

Questions remain in year seven over how impactful he can be in the playoffs as one of the top options. Hard to believe they’ll be answered this year if they have to earn a playoff spot through the Play-In Tournament because they’ll have to see a tougher opponent. His most effective playoff run is arguably from his rookie season, too. 

The other loss in his absence is that his trade value has diminished with only the 2026-27 season left on his deal after this one. He’ll only be able to play a maximum of 39 games this year, and this is if he comes back immediately. Consider how playing in 76 percent of the games seasonally has been the story of his career. 

If there were a close second on the list of team disappointments, it would be Nikola Jović making zero growth from last year. He was rewarded with a contract extension for his potential, and it seems like a premature error because he’s probably untradeable and is playing nearly seven fewer minutes. 

Keep in mind that Spoelstra only trusted him for six minutes in Sunday’s win against the lowly Washington Wizards, who need to lose to keep their pick from going to New York. Myron Gardner, who was signed to a two-way contract in July, notably logged more than triple his minutes in the win and has been a superior player this season.

Jović’s effective field goal percentage has plummeted 12 percent when he is taking one fewer attempt. He’s not a fluid player in the half-court, he can’t make wide-open 3-point shots (30.9 percent) and his confidence wanes with every mistake. His best work comes in the open court, yet some of it has been diluted by more turnovers than ever. 

Since he’s in year four, most of his development is his responsibility because the younger players need those resources dedicated to them. He’s only age 22, so he’s got time to make something of himself in the league, but it’s getting harder to see that happening with the Heat.