Getty Miami Heat guard Kyle Lowry sits on the bench during a playoff game against the Atlanta Hawks.
Less than one week ago, Kyle Lowry was riding as high as he has all season for the Miami Heat. With the South Beach crew seeking redemption against a tough Pelicans squad, the six-time NBA All-Star scored 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting and nabbed four steals to lead his team to a narrow victory at FTX Arena.
He was particularly good in the decisive final period, during which he scored or assisted on 11-straight points for the Heat with the game on the line. Fast-forward to now, though, and the wily vet is back on the bad list once again.
Lowry was a combined 3-of-13 from the floor with eight total points in narrow wins over the Celtics and Magic. Worse yet, he didn’t see a single fourth-quarter minute in either contest. And while Erik Spoelstra deflected when asked what this new trend might mean for the 2019 champ, one can’t help but wonder if the end is near for Lowry in Miami.
In any case, Lowry maintains that he’s not rattling any cages to get to the bottom of the situation.
Kyle Lowry Sounds Off on His Heat Future & the Trade Deadline
Lowry said neither he nor his agent have asked Heat for clarity before trade deadline: “I have a very nice contract that can be moved.” But.. “I want to stay. I enjoy this place.”
Given his age, bloated salary and underperformance relative to the massive expectations he brought with him from Toronto, Lowry’s name has featured heavily in trade rumors recently. For his part, The Ringer‘s Kevin O’Connor reported that the Clippers could make a serious push to acquire him and/or his former Raptors teammate, Fred VanVleet.
When he was asked about the trade rumors, though, Lowry didn’t seem overly concerned about what might transpire. He also reaffirmed his commitment to the Heat.
“I’ve been in trade rumors before,” Kyle Lowry said, via the Miami Herald. “I have a very nice contract that can be moved. The organization believes in me and I’m glad to be here… I want to stay. I enjoy this place. I picked this place. I feel we have a chance to always compete for a title.
“With Jimmy [Butler], Bam [Adebayo], Tyler [Herro] and Spo as a coach, we always have an opportunity.”
Lowry added that neither he nor his agent have asked Heat president Pat Riley for clarity on the situation before the trade deadline.
Heat Flagged Once Again for Injury Reporting Practices
Per an announcement from the league office on Saturday, the Heat have been fined a cool $25,000 for “failing to comply with league policies governing injury reporting.” There was no specification given on which game the fine stemmed for or what exactly Miami did to incur it.
It’s worth noting, however, that Jimmy Butler was scratched from the team’s recent bout with the Cs after having not been listed on the injury report.
This is actually the second time that the Heat have been fined 25k as a result of their injury reporting practices this season. They received a similar fine just last month, after which they decided to troll the league by putting the statuses of every player on the roster into their next report.