In 2019, the Miami Heat selected Tyler Herro with the No. 13 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Since then, he has become a valuable part of the team. In 2020, he played an instrumental role in the team’s NBA Finals run. Additionally, took home the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2022 and is currently in the midst of a career year. The Milwaukee native signed a four-year, $120 million deal to remain in Miami through the 2026-27 season. At this point, it seems like Herro is going to spend his prime with the Heat. Thinking of him in another jersey is a wild thought. However, according to Herro himself, it nearly happened nearly six years ago on draft night. Herro recently revealed that he was nearly drafted by the Boston Celtics before the Heat swooped in and grabbed him.
On a recent episode of The OGs Show, Herro recalled his draft night experience and spoke about wanting to go to Miami despite Boston’s guarantee to pick him if he was available.
Tyler Herro says the Boston Celtics guaranteed they would draft him, but the Miami Heat swooped in and took him instead
(
@theOGsShow / https://t.co/LGOr6FnjEm) pic.twitter.com/RRNe2ntFvd
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 8, 2025
“When I seen the numbers on the teams of where they’re drafting and I seen Miami was 13, I was set on Miami months prior before the even draft, it was just a dream to go to Miami. And on draft night, the Celtics had the 14th pick and they had already guaranteed me the pick for the most part and then Miami took me right before at 13, so it was a blessing,” Herro said.
Tyler Herro Reveals Boston Celtics Promised to Draft Him in 2019
Who the Boston Celtics Drafted Instead
Herro has become a legitimate building block and a potential All-Star since joining the Heat. However, the same cannot be said for who the Celtics ended up with instead.
With the 14th pick of the draft, Boston ended up with Romeo Langford. At the time, there were plenty of reasons to like the pick. He was a great collegiate player and had a lot of potential. Unfortunately, his career with the Celtics never panned out. The Indiana alum appeared in 94 total games for the Celtics across parts of three seasons. In those games, he averaged 3.6 points and 1.9 rebounds. Despite being a lottery pick, Langford never established himself in Boston. However, it all worked out for the Celtics.
In 2022, the Celtics included Langford in a package for Derrick White from the San Antonio Spurs. White has since become a borderline All-Star and was crucial to Boston’s title win in 2024. As for Langford, he only played 47 games for San Antonio and currently plays overseas.
The Last Word
All things considered, Herro’s draft fate worked out for both Boston and Miami. However, it is interesting to think of a world where Herro is rocking green and white. Nonetheless, hypotheticals mean nothing in the basketball world. Currently, Herro only has interest in bringing another title back to Miami.
“I really do want to bring a championship to Miami. [I want to be an] All-Star [and] win a championship, and I just want to give back to the community… I need the same influence on this city as D-Wade. Obviously, not as much because of how much he’s done, and this is Wade County at the end of the day.”
Check out the full podcast episode here:
The post Tyler Herro Reveals Rival Team Promised to Draft Him in 2019 appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.