The Heat and the Sixers continue to be the teams most frequently linked to Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry, and ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggested on the latest episode of his Hoop Collective podcast that whichever team Lowry finishes the season with would be the frontrunner to keep him beyond 2020/21.
“I was talking to a GM this morning and he basically described it as this: ‘Kyle Lowry’s free agency is happening right now,'” Windhorst said, per RealGM. “The expectation is that Kyle Lowry will have a new contract by the end of this week. It is either going to be to stay in Toronto, whether it’s signed or an understanding that is going to happen. It’s going to be Miami or Philadelphia. Those are the three options that the expectation is out there.”
While Windhorst’s comments, as well as the latest article from Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, suggest that an extension could be in play for Lowry this week – either from the Raptors or a new team – my understanding is that the veteran point guard doesn’t meet the NBA’s criteria for a veteran extension and will have to wait until free agency to sign a new deal.
Still, it’s safe to assume that if he’s traded this week, Lowry’s new team would have a pretty clear idea of what his next contract might look like and would be confident about getting something done.
As for the likelihood of a trade, Jackson and Chiang hear that as of Tuesday morning, Lowry hadn’t asked to be dealt. However, he remains curious about interest in him and has yet to rule anything out. The Raptors’ front office has also let him know they’ve had conversations with other teams.
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reported on Sunday that Miami would be Lowry’s preferred landing spot if he’s dealt, which Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press confirmed today (via Twitter). O’Connor also noted that Lowry’s close friendship with Jimmy Butler is an important factor in that equation, something that Jackson and Chiang wrote about today as well. Butler’s presence on the Heat roster also fueled James Harden‘s interest in the Heat earlier this year, according to the Herald duo.
If the Heat do attempt to make a deal for Lowry, they’ll likely resist including Tyler Herro unless the trade is expanded to include someone like Norman Powell, per Jackson and Chiang, who say that Duncan Robinson is more likely to be part of the package.
Heat president of basketball operations Pat Riley is a major advocate of going after Lowry, Jackson and Chiang add. If Miami doesn’t acquire Lowry this week, the team could target him in free agency.
I feel Sixers make more sense for him but the Heat have more to offer and would be easier to make a trade with;
Robinson/Iguodala/Olynyk/Silva/1st
for
Lowry/McCaw/Watson
listen to you, thinkin like a real gm lol or just a plain raptor fan?
robinson for lowry? okay, for salary matching add someone who has a small contract.
but iguodala, olynyk and a 1st for mccaw and watson? tf?
I dunno i’m just playing around by the cap rules. Heat are hardcapped so they’ll have to send out big salary and Olynyk isn’t enough. It has to be Iggy or Dragic. And the Raptors only have 1 open roster spot so they’ll have to send out more than just Lowry.
Maybe they get a third team involved.
Duncan Robinson is a better player than Herro
IMO
I hope he stay a raptor
I think they should somehow convince him to sign with them in the offseason!!! Keep Duncan Robinson, he’s a great addition to a championship team!
That’s a good point not brought up in the article — Miami has cap space this summer. Why give up Duncan Robinson (or anyone else) for an extra 3 months of Lowry?
Robinson is a big part of their team
Boston Celtics receive: Kyle Lowry and Aron Baynes
Toronto Raptors receive: Myles Turner, Jeremy Lamb, Aaron Holiday and 2021 second-round pick (via BOS)
Indiana Pacers receive: Kemba Walker, Terence Davis, Romeo Langford and 2021 first-round pick (top-10 protected, via BOS)
Boston might need to add another 1st to sweeten the pot for Indy — not sure many teams would be thrilled to take on Kemba’s contract right now.
That would be a great deal for Toronto and Boston tho
A lot of talk recently about what Heat should be willing to pay for Duncan Robinson, and whether or not he should be moved. Right now, it would be extremely hard for me to think he should be moved. I’m not even sure what I would be willing to move him for. If anything, I’d consider the idea of potentially being able to sign and trade him in the offseason, when more options are available. I’m sure the Heat are looking at Max Strus, either to pair with him on the roster, or potentially somewhat replace him, depending on if they move him/what they move him for…
Kendrick Nunn’s future is also interesting. I know they’ve liked Gabe Vincent, and they have other guards, if those guys dont get moved. I’d rather have Nunn than Herro this year, depending on the deal, but going into the future I’m not so sure, with Nunn probably getting something in the $11-15 million range on his next contract…
In certain trades where they may have to move some of their shooting, with Olynyk and/or Herro, I do worry about potential spacing issues, and losing the ability to stretch the floor from that big spot, so they would have to be careful on who they target, and/or who they can then add in free agency/buyout market. I would imagine that might be a spot where Strus could get a regular contract, of a roster spot is opened
I want to see more of how they look with Iguodala and Ariza there together. 1 of them should start, moving Olynyk back to the bench. Okpala had looked good lately though, especially when Bam was out, so not sure what would be most effective for him
Ok so this is going to be super long, and somewhat redundant in some spots, but a lot goes into this. I had kind of written up a couple of different things previously, and I jumbled them up with added stuff to make a whole full point, so it’s a little unorganized, but I think it explains the thought process well enough.
As a Heat fan, Lowry would be amazing, but there are only a couple of different versions of a trade for him I can sort of see making some sense, but still there are significant holes in them. Most of it has to do with not thinking Toronto would do it, or even if they should do it, and it’s also questionable for the Heat, with so many potentially needed moving parts, where they may create holes on the roster, and then still have to add there. I could potentially see LaMarcus Aldridge fitting in that scenario, but they would still have at least a spot to fill, and depending on which iteration of the deal, they may end up more lacking on the wing…I’m not sure Toronto should move Lowry, and I would like to see him stay with them, with everything he has done there, and him still being so valuable, but maybe if Lowry wants to be traded to the Heat, that makes things a bit different. These are the options as I see them, if they do move him
First, I would trade Herro in a deal for Lowry, at least over Duncan Robinson. Maybe in a couple of years Herro will be a much better player, but Lowry is still a great 2 way player, fills a need guarding the guard spot, and isnt just going to fall off a cliff after this year, and if they can keep him, I can see him being valuable for at least 2 more years. I would also be willing to move the 2025 1st round pick, which is 1 of the only 2 1st rounders they can move, but with it being a few years away, that makes it that much more important that someone like Herro be in the deal. I would not be willing to move Goran Dragic for several reasons. Besides what he means to this organization, and wanting him to stay the rest of his career, he and Jimmy Butler are super close, and he is also close with Lowry, making them a great fit off the floor, as well as on it.
I would be willing to also include the 2027 1st round pick, and possibly even the only 2nd round pick the Heat have left, which is Phillys in 2022 in a specific scenario. That scenario where I would be more inclined is if Toronro were potentially willing to include OG Anunoby, which I dont think they would, and dont really think they should, but that would make it into a much bigger trade. It would take 1-2 young players plus the picks to make it even considerable, which is why I said I didnt think they would do that.
I would prefer to flip Ariza, and keep Iguodala, for the most part, but his salary cant be aggregated in a trade until after the trade deadline, which obviously isnt helpful there, so his salary wouldnt be useable in salary matching
For Lowry by himself, I’m not sure the pieces that would need to be added would make much sense, with maybe a couple of exceptions, and then it’s back to the same issue with I dont think Toronto would do it. So i would trade Herro for Lowry, and if I need to move Herro, Olynyk, Bradley, Harkless to match salaries, plus the 2025 pick, I would do that, assuming the Heat would then sign a couple of FAs at the 4/5 spot, but I dont see Toronto doing it. For Iguodala instead of Bradley/Harkless, I would have to think about that, or someone like Stanley Johnson would at least have to come back, but then you still have issues to fill, so again, doesnt make much sense as the team is constructed b/c you’re filling one need and making another need even more glaring, mostly on the wing there, which doesnt help.
So ya, I would do it for Lowry, but that wouldnt be enough to help the Heat’s issues by itself. In the situation with Anunoby, a similar issue is there, and it would obviously have to turn into a bigger trade to match salaries. I would do something like Herro, Okpala, Olynyk, Avery Bradley, Mo Harkless, Andre Iguodala probably both 1st round picks, and the 2nd round pick for Lowry, Anunoby, Stanley Johnson, and maybe Totonto’s 2023 2nd round pick, but that wouldnt be enough, in my opinion, for Toronto to make a move like that. The Heat would probably come up an asset short there
So pretty much what I said. I just dont think Toronto would do it. In simpler to see form, these are the 3 trade ideas
Heat get Lowry
Toronto gets Herro, Olynyk, Bradley, Harkless, 2025 1st round pick
Heat get Lowry, Stanley Johnson, Aaron Baynes, and 2023 Toronto 2nd round pick
Toronto gets Herro, Olynyk, Bradley, Harkless, Iguodala, Heat 2025 1st Round pick
Heat get Lowry, Anunoby, Stanley Johnson, 2023 Toronto 2nd round pick
Toronto gets Herro, Okpala, Iguodala, Olynyk, Bradley, Harkless, Heat 2025 1st round pick, Heat 2027 1st round pick, and 2022 Philly 2nd round pick
If Heat can somehow pull off one of these deals and sign Aldridge/another big, and depending on if Iguodala moves, another wing/4 that makes it a decision that would be super worth. Someone like Shaq Harrison to replace Iguodala defensively, with his disruption on that end, would be super interesting, especially with his fit as a miami heat type player; someone I’ve been a huge fan of for a few years, and hope to see in an NBA rotation. I could also see them signing at least 1 of their 2 way guys to full deals in 1 of these scenarios, depending how many roster spots they’d open…all of that being said, as discussed, it’s a super long shot