MARCH 22: The Heat and Sixers are the leaders for Lowry if the Raptors move him, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who says that sources with knowledge of the point guard’s mindset thinks he wants to compete for a championship.
Meanwhile, teams have told ESPN’s Zach Lowe that the Raptors haven’t been aggressive in engaging in Lowry discussions yet, but that could change between now and Thursday’s deadline. Lowe expresses some skepticism that the Heat would part with Herro in a deal for Lowry.
MARCH 21: The Heat are one of several teams expressing interest in Raptors star Kyle Lowry ahead of the March 25 trade deadline, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, who says Miami’s interest appears to be the strongest among Lowry’s potential suitors.
The Clippers and Sixers also retain an interest in Lowry, who’s set to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. Miami is Lowry’s preferred destination should he be moved ahead of the deadline, league sources tell O’Connor, noting the close relationship between him and Jimmy Butler.
In any deal involving Lowry between the Heat and Raptors, Toronto would expect to acquire either Tyler Herro or Duncan Robinson in return, according to O’Connor.
On the season, Lowry has averaged 17.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game, shooting 44% from the field and 39% from deep in 34 contests. He was a focal point of the Raptors’ 2019 NBA championship team and is in his ninth season with the franchise.
Miami is also said to be the favorites to sign LaMarcus Aldridge if he receives a buyout from the Spurs, O’Connor adds. Additionally, the Heat have a $7.5MM trade exception generated in the 2020 deal featuring Jae Crowder that will officially expire at the end of Monday.
I’d give up Duncan… not Herro. This is a glorified rental.. Duncan is a RFA… Herro is on his rookie deal. Duncan, Iggy, Olynyk and the last draft pick they can trade is fair for both sides to me…. Raptors can easily match anything Duncan is offered in FA.
Exactly
Sign Duncan back in July
Pelicans should jump in to get Duncan
3 way deal
Make big offer in summer
A glorified rental as opposed to a rental?
I was thinking Iguodala, Olynyk, KZ, maybe Strus and a 1st. No way I’m trading Robinson or Herro for old a$$ Lowry. Unless a title guarantee comes with it
That old guy Lowry won a championship two years ago.
Lowry isn’t a buy out candidate so that offer is probably a non starter for Toronto.
Lowry already makes $30 mil taking that on has to be accounted for. You’re right a deal between these 2 teams is almost out of the question due to circumstance.
Heat can also wait for Aldridge and Oladipo buy out
Many teams have fake interest on both but …..
Oladipo is not getting a buy out.
Of course he isn’t. But he thinks that Oladipo is only worth a garbage contract plus an early second round pick. Ridiculous.
Can we all pitch in and buy Sullivan out and send him to a farm in upstate New York?
The rockets could have had names like Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Caris LaVert, Jarrett Allen, etc etc etc…. but instead they ended up with Oladipo just to buy him out? Are you nuts? lol
Heat makes some sense if you can get Herro and salary matching contracts.
I believe the best trade scenario that benefits both teams is with the 76ers.
Tobias Harris for Lowry.
This gives the 76ers the PG they need for a deep playoffs run and opens them caps space for next year.
Lowry is probably one of the most underrated PGs in the game.
If they just want salary cap space they can get that from pretty much any team… the Heat can give them both cap space and a player they’d want to use it on (Duncan Robinson). Tobias Harris would make absolutely no sense for Toronto unless he comes with 2-3 1st round picks .
76ers for Green (salary), Bradley, Milton, Ferguson, Maxey or Thybulle, and possibly picks.
The Heat deal is pretty easy from a cap standpoint. Dragic and Leonard or Olynik plus the young player or pick(s) gets the numbers to where they need to be.
I don’t see Herro or Robinson, so maybe it’s KZ and the Heat’s 2025 1st. With the Raps at 17-25 and FVV already on a long term deal, a young player and 1st from Miami doesn’t look too bad, especially if they do want to do right by Lowry and deal him to the team he wants to go to as per reports/rumours.
Leonard has been traded to OKC for Trevor Ariza few days ago.
Don’t see Lowry to Heat.
I see Lowry to the Nuggets
Gary Harris (salary), Hampton, Nnaji, Bol Bol, Monte Morris + picks heading back to raptors.
That’s horrible for Denver
Not that bad. Harris is injury prone and isn’t the same guy anymore, Hampton and Bol hardly play, Morris is a replaceable backup point.
Wont be horrible if they win the west and win a title.
Murray and Lowry would be a hard backcourt to stop.
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 woth 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, most on the being 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. 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
…So only in my dreams, as a Heat fan…
Philly makes no sense to me. Maxey reminds me of a remedial version of Lowry, so you wouldnt move him. I personally like Isoah Joe as well. I’m not sure they need guard help right now. Also not sure you would want to lose depth with Mike Scott at the 4, although you do have Paul Reed there, and Simmons just moves to that spot when Harris isnt in the game, and Danny Green has been inconsistent shooting the ball, but is still a needed defender on the wing…I dont like the idea of them messing with what they have. Maybe another shooter at the 2/3 spots?
Clippers dont feel like they have enough, without other assets, although maybe Toronto can squeeze Kabengele out of them, since they already declined his option for some reason. As discussed, George Hill would make more sense for them, although they could really use a backup wing defender more than anything
I personally would like to see Lowry stay with them, so hopefully they dont move him for a lesser deal
Need to trade half the roster to match Lowry. Non-starter. I like the player, but 30.5M is hard to match. I don’t care about losing Green, Scott, Furg, Bradley, or Poirier… it’s just they are already in the luxury, so they’d need to keep going into the luxury to fill out the roster again. Don’t see that happening.
Norman Powell? Okay let’s have that conversation. I’d like to keep him around LT. 20M eh, not really feeling that. But I’d give up a 1st, 2nd and salary matching. Idk what everyone else is offering.