MIAMI (AP) — All-Star guard Tyler Herro is having surgery to repair a problem affecting his left foot, meaning the Miami Heat will be without their leading returning scorer when training camp starts later this month.

Herro is expected to be out for several weeks, and a more exact return-to-play plan likely won’t be finalized until he begins rehabilitation and gets through the surgery. The issue had been bothering Herro throughout offseason training and evidently worsened in recent weeks.

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The Heat open training camp on Sept. 30 and begin regular-season play on Oct. 22 at Orlando. If Herro were to miss even just the first month of the season, that would mean he’d be out for 16 games in that span alone.

Herro is coming off the best season of his career, one where he averaged 23.9 points — 3.1 points higher than his previous best — while also playing in a career-best 77 games. He made the All-Star team for the first time. He also won the league’s 3-point contest at All-Star weekend and did all that while posting career-bests in shooting percentage (.472), 3-pointers made per game (3.3) and assists per game (5.5).

He had three 40-point games last season after having one such game (41 vs. Houston in 2022) in his first five seasons combined.

But injuries — often of the foot and ankle variety — have been an issue in the past for Herro as well. He missed at least 15 games in each of his first four seasons, then missed 40 games in the 2023-24 season.

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Herro, who will make $31 million this season in the third year of a four-year, $120 million contract, becomes extension eligible next month. He and the Heat could agree on a new deal that would pay him up to nearly $150 million over three years, or potentially the sides could table talks until Herro becomes eligible for a four-year extension next summer that could top $200 million.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA