New starting Heat point guard Kyle Lowry discussed his expectations for this offseason’s revamped Miami club with media on Friday and Saturday, as Couper Moorhead of Heat.com details.
“On paper it looks great,” Lowry, a 2019 title winner with the Raptors, said of Miami’s new-look roster. “But you have to put the work in on the floor. I don’t ever try to say we can do this, we can do that. At the end of the day you have to go out there, lace ‘em up and do your job. Play defense, put the ball in the hole.”
Miami’s sign-and-trade deal with the Raptors that sent Lowry to the Heat is currently being investigated by the NBA, as the league is cracking down on violations to its anti-tampering stance on free agency.
There’s more out of South Beach:
- In his latest notes roundup, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel discusses the re-signing of Victor Oladipo, plus the departures of Kendrick Nunn (after the team made him an unrestricted free agent) and Andre Iguodala (after the Heat did not pick up the second year of his contract). Winderman notes that Oladipo, Lowry, and new Heat power forward P.J. Tucker were all potential trade targets for Miami during the 2020/21 season, though Miami was unwilling to part with young players Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson. Winderman adds that Miami’s decision to move on from Nunn speaks to the team’s preference for Herro, regarded as having higher upside.
- Now that the Heat have inked a two-year minimum deal with center Omer Yurtseven, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel examines the seven-footer’s fit as with a Miami team hungry to contend. After Yurtseven’s promising NBAGL 2020/21 season for the Oklahoma City Blue, Miami signed him for the rest of the year. He posted encouraging averages of 26 PPG and 13.5 RPG in two California Classic Summer League this year, and ultimately opted to return to Miami.
- Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald has further details on the NBA’s investigation into the Heat’s Lowry sign-and-trade with the Raptors. Chiang writes that the investigation is most likely being conducted as a result of at least one other NBA team complaining about the expediency of the deal, while Winderman tweets that it’s more about “gun-jumping” than tampering.
- Within Chiang’s story, Bobby Marks of ESPN said the sign-and-trade for Lowry almost certainly won’t be voided. “I would say highly, highly unlikely that the trade will be voided and that Kyle is a free agent all of a sudden,” Marks said. “I think what will happen is if they’re found guilty, there will be some financial penalty and draft picks will be lost here.” Marks anticipates the investigation could last for around two weeks.
Man in a couple years when they are paying 38 year old Lowry and 36 year old Butler like 75 million. Youch
A couple years = 2 years.
Lowry will be 36.
Butler will be 33.
Sixer fans still won’t be able to count and Sixers still won’t be able to get out of the 2nd.
YOUUUUCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
You’re much too kind. With Dumb and Dumber as it’s gm and coach, they’re not even winning its 1st Rd series this season.
In a couple of years phili will be trust the process 2.0
If you want to fine teams a 2nd round pick for players talking to each other and agents talking to their favorite GM’s as tampering, you might as well cancel the 2nd round.
Lol for real, lakers should never have a second round pick again and the cavs and heat should just maybe be getting them again in 2025
Heal have no size a killer against physical teams like top two Sixers bucks. Heal have no depth killer against top two bucks Sixers.
Heat have some really interesting summer league guys. I doubt 1 of them gets the final roster spot though.
Not sure who makes the most sense for that spot, but it should be 1 of Frank Ntilikina, Shaq Harrison, Wesley Matthews, or Rodney McGruder
A little off topic to this thread – but don’t see why Heat organization is trying to get Okpala to fit into their 3pt shooting scheme.
He seems to have incredible athleticism and hops. He should play defensive, roam and hit the boards and the fill the lane on offensive like Dennis Rodman did back in the day. He shouldn’t be attempting eight 3 pointers a game like he did last night. They got to play to his strengths. Just my 2 cents.
I prefer Okpala to Markieff Morris, and they still need help on the wing. The spacing at times when Okpala was in the game wasnt that great with those lineups, and a lot of the lineups the Heat might have this coming season might see that as an issue, so it would potentially be important for him to knock down shots…that being said, its unlikely he would have to take that many shots in a regular game, with the regular roster. It’s also worth mentioning that he was still +11 in his minutes, and it’s also his first game after coming back from Japan just a couple of days ago, so it’s a little early to make any judgements. I would also say this is his first semi regular offseason, so I’ll be more curious to see how he looks by training camp