Heat covets Raptors’ Lowry, but trade would take major bite out of rotation
The Heat is interested in Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry. But where should the Heat draw a line when it comes to a potential Lowry trade?
With Thursday’s NBA trade deadline looming, one Heat target has become clear.
A league source confirmed a report by The Ringer that the Heat is among the teams with interest in trading for Toronto Raptors guard
Kyle Lowry, and Miami is one of the trade destinations that interests Lowry.
The Heat remains an active participant in the trade market even after already completing a deal last week with the Oklahoma City Thunder to acquire veteran forward Trevor Ariza. After picking itself up from the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings to get above .500 for the first time this season less than two weeks ago, the Heat (22-21) has dropped three in a row and hosts the surging Phoenix
Suns on Tuesday (8 p.m., Fox Sports Sun).
The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor reported Sunday that “the Heat are pursuing a deal for Lowry harder than anyone.” The Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers are among the other teams with interest in Lowry.
The Ringer also noted that Miami is Lowry’s “preferred destination” because of his friendship with Heat star Jimmy Butler. But several recent reports in the Toronto media have also suggested that the Raptors are unlikely to trade Lowry, and some teams have told ESPN that the Raptors have not yet been aggressive engaging on a deal involving Lowry.
Lowry, who turns 35 on trade deadline day, is averaging 17.7 points while shooting 43.7 percent from the field and 39.4 percent on 7.2 three-point shot attempts per game, to go with 5.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists this season for the struggling Raptors.
The challenge in trading for Lowry is tied to his $30.5 million salary for this season as part of an expiring contract. The Heat would need to send out at least about $24 million in salary to acquire Lowry in a trade, according to NBA rules.
That’s complicated because it would require the Heat to part ways with multiple rotation players.
Not counting Bam Adebayo and Butler, because the Heat will not include those two in a trade, the three highest salaries on the roster are Goran Dragic ($18 million salary for this season), Andre Iguodala ($15 million) and
Kelly Olynyk ($12.6 million). It’s very likely that at least one of those three players would need to be included as part of the Heat’s package to get up to the $24 million threshold needed to acquire Lowry.
“The Raptors would require at least Tyler Herro or Duncan Robinson from Miami in any potential deal,” according to
The Ringer.
Herro ($3.8 million) or Robinson ($1.7 million) could be attached to those bigger Heat contracts to facilitate a trade for Lowry. Other salaries belonging to Avery Bradley ($5.6 million), Moe Harkless ($3.6 million), Precious Achiuwa ($2.6 million), Kendrick Nunn ($1.7 million) and KZ Okpala ($1.5 million) are among the other options to include in a deal to make the trade math work.
If Toronto wants draft compensation in return for Lowry, Miami would need to reach an agreement with Oklahoma City to unlock protections on the 2023 Heat first-rounder that is due to the Thunder. That 2023 pick is lottery protected, and those protections that run until
2026 tie the other years up.
But if the Heat and Thunder agree to eliminate the protection on that 2023 pick — allowing Oklahoma City to have Miami’s 2023 first-rounder wherever it falls in the draft — the Heat would then be allowed to trade its 2025 and/or 2027 first-rounders to Toronto.
Hypothetically, a trade package that includes Iguodala, Olynyk and Robinson would satisfy the salary-matching requirements to add Lowry. Iguodala, Olynyk and Herro would also work.
But the question then becomes is the Heat willing to part with a young asset and multiple rotation players for a soon-to-be 35-year-old Lowry? Lowry, a six-time All-Star, is still playing at a high level.
But including Herro, 21, means dealing away a player who’s in the second year of his rookie deal, has upside as a talented threelevel scorer, and is believed to be one of the Heat’s top trade assets to land the third star it’s looking for.
The 26-year-old Robinson, who is set to become a restricted free agent this upcoming offseason, is an important part of the Heat’s offense because of his ability to create space for others with his three-point shooting.
Trading away Olynyk and Iguodala, who both could become unrestricted free agents this upcoming offseason, would bring a lot of change to the Heat’s rotation. Olynyk has become a full-time starter alongside Adebayo in Miami’s frontcourt, and Iguodala has been a consistent part of the Heat’s late-game lineups this season.
Any Heat trade for Lowry would probably be contingent on the belief that he would re-sign with the Heat as a free agent this upcoming offseason.
If the Heat does not complete a trade for Lowry, the Heat could have between $21 million and $27 million in cap space to sign him in free agency this upcoming offseason if it does not bring back Dragic.
The Ringer also reported Sunday that the Heat is considered “one of the favorites to land LaMarcus Aldridge if the San Antonio Spurs buy out the veteran big.” The Miami Herald reported earlier this month that the Heat is among the teams that has spoken to the Spurs about Aldridge.
The Heat confirmed that members of the organization, including some players, have received the COVID-19 vaccine in consultation with their physicians.
The NBA’s plan is to relax some of its health and safety protocols for those who are fully vaccinated, including fewer mandatory COVID-19 tests, no quarantine requirements following contact tracing issues and the freedom to eat at restaurants again.
The Heat listed Bradley (calf strain) and Dragic (lower back spasms) as questionable for Tuesday’s game against the Suns. Dragic missed his first game because of a back issue in Sunday’s loss to the Pacers.