Tyler Herro is one of the brightest young stars for the Miami Heat. He has broken various playoff records by a rookie, including becoming the youngest player to start a NBA Finals game. And after a disappointing sophomore season, Herro is proving himself to be one of the players that’ll usher us into the league’s future. This season, the Heat’s young star is averaging a career-high 22.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game.

While Herro is a talented player, he drew some attention after proclaiming that he should be part of the same conversation as top young superstars Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and Ja Morant.

Herro does make a case to be part of that same category, especially after a dominant bubble run back in 2020. In fact, even Udonis Haslem supported his teammate's wild claim.

However, it’s worth considering that there are just other young players who are ahead of Herro at this point. For this piece, let’s take a look at young players who are closer to the likes of Luka, Trae, and Ja than Herro. This piece will be considering players who were under-25 until the start of the regular season. Because of this, the likes of NBA All-Stars Donovan Mitchell, Domantas Sabonis, and Ben Simmons won’t be part of the list.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been out of the playoff picture for the past few years. It’s evident that they haven’t recovered from the departure of James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook. However, one of their silver linings has been the emergence of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Like Herro, SGA was also part of the NBA All-Rookie 2nd Team during his rookie year. However individually, SGA looks to be a more complete player than Herro. Although Herro has found more team success, SGA has found ways to make his mark in the league with much lesser talent around him.

SGA has averaged 20.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game in his three years as a starter with OKC. And this year, he is putting up 22.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per outing. SGA is clearly the face of the Thunder’s franchise after he agreed to the max extension that was offered to him earlier this year. Being the team’s go-to guy should place SGA ahead of Herro.

On the other hand, while Herro has made the most out of his bench role, the likes of Luka, Trae, and Ja are all faces of their respective franchises. Although it’s possible that Herro will eventually be the face of the Heat someday, the keys currently belong to Jimmy Butler. And with Kyle Lowry entering the fold, it doesn’t seem like Herro is in that level just yet, unlike SGA.

Jayson Tatum

The Boston Celtics have been a playoff contender in the recent years, thanks to Jayson Tatum. Like Luka, Trae, and Ja, Tatum is the face of the Celtics’ franchise. And at just age 23, he already has accomplished his own array of accolades.

With Tatum, the Celtics have appeared in the postseason since 2018. Their deepest runs saw them appear in the Conference Finals twice in 2018 and 2020 against eventual NBA Finalists Cleveland and Miami, respectively.

Although Tatum hasn’t appeared in the Finals unlike Herro, he does have two All-Star appearances and an All-NBA Team selection under his belt. Tatum was also named to the All-Rookie First Team in 2018.

While the Celtics have been struggling as a whole recently, Tatum is still racking up the numbers. So far, he’s averaging 25.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.7 dimes per outing. He also just dropped a season-high 41 points, spiked by six threes, to go alongside with seven rebounds and eight assists against the Charlotte Hornets. There's no question, Tatum is easily a potential MVP candidate at this point.

LaMelo Ball

There’s a reason why LaMelo Ball took home the Rookie of the Year last season. He is simply phenomenal. The Hornets have finally found their missing piece in the form of Melo. With Melo, the Hornets have looked like a dark horse in the East.

To say that he is already in the same conversation as Luka, Trae, and Ja is a bit of a stretch. However, he does make a case to put himself ahead of Herro. Right from the get-go, Melo made an immediate impact in his rookie season, which earned him the Rookie of the Year honors. This is an award that’s missing in Herro’s collection.

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Aside from being individually great, Melo also led the Hornets to a 10th seed finish season. Because of this, the Hornets became closer than ever to break their postseason drought that has been on-going since 2016. Unfortunately, the Hornets couldn’t snag a win in the first-ever Play-In Tournament.

But more importantly, Melo isn’t showing signs of a sophomore slump. He is averaging 20.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game this season which is so far a steady improvement from his stellar rookie year. On the other hand, although Herro registered decent numbers in his second year, people expected more from the Heat guard after an explosive bubble run. Herro averaged 15.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, off the bench.

For someone who was under scrutiny alongside his brothers, largely because of his father’s public behavior, Melo has proved to everyone that he belongs in the league as one of the best playmaking guards today. Moreover, he could be in the process already of becoming the face of the Hornets’ franchise.

Bam Adebayo

Among the young players in Miami, aside from Herro, a player that’s already ahead of him is his teammate Bam Adebayo. Over the years, the 6’9 center has proven he can be a premiere center in the league. Like a true modern center, Bam is a skilled big man who has made a huge impact for the Heat in the recent years.

Like Herro, Bam was an integral part of the Heat’s magical run to the NBA Finals in the bubble back in 2020. Despite being undersized, Bam has anchored the paint for Miami that placed himself among the league’s top 10 big men.

In his five year career, Bam has averaged 12.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. He has one All-Star appearance under his belt. Furthermore, he’s also becoming a fixture in the All-Defensive teams after recently being named a part of it for the second straight year.

While Bam isn’t the focal point of the Heat’s offense, he’s still arguably their best big man. In fact, despite only being 24 years of age, to be named as a premiere player of his position should catapult him as the big man of the future.

Devin Booker

If there’s another player that deserves to be really part of the Luka, Ja, and Trae conversation, it’s Devin Booker. Thanks to his deadeye shooting, Booker has helped transform the Suns from a cellar dweller to a championship contender. Although the entry of Chris Paul was a huge lift, Booker has always been the Suns’ main scorer.

Like Herro, Booker has already made the NBA Finals. Although he also fell short of a championship, Booker made life difficult for the Bucks’ defenses. In fact, Booker also shattered some playoff records himself during his first NBA postseason appearance.

After turning 25 only a few days ago, there’s no doubt that Booker’s dominance is just getting started. Early into the season, he is averaging 21.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. With his sights set on a championship, there’s no doubt Booker’s keen on adding a ring to his list of accolades that already includes two NBA All-Star selections and an All-Rookie First Team honor.