Getty Kyle Lowry of the Miami Heat reacts to an officials call during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Miami Heat currently have their hands full in the first round of the NBA playoffs against the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks, with the series tied 1-1, but the offseason will be here soon and some analysts are already thinking about ways to unload some of the team’s more overpriced contracts.
Enter veteran point guard Kyle Lowry, who signed a three-year, fully guaranteed contract worth $85 million when he came to Miami via trade in August of 2021. Lowry earned $28.3 million this past season, and he’s set to make $29.7 million next season — and those are numbers that far supersede the production he has had on the court since joining the squad.
A knee injury limited Lowry over the 2022-23 season, forcing him to miss 15 games. He shot 40.4% from the field in 55 games (44 starts) this past season, averaging 11.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists (stats via Basketball Reference).
A six-time All-Star, the 37-year-old Lowry was the subject of trade rumors for a good chunk of the season, and in a recent column for Bleacher Report, Zach Buckley laid out the following trade proposal for the Heat to consider:
- Los Angeles Clippers receive: Kyle Lowry
- Miami Heat receive: Marcus Morris Sr., Robert Covington and 2023 second-round pick
There Has Been Lowry – Clippers Noise Before
“If the Heat are going to build a title team during what’s left of Jimmy Butler’s prime, they have to turn Lowry’s salary spot into something more helpful. How about two rotation-caliber forwards and a second-round pick?” Buckley wrote on April 19.
This isn’t the first time Lowry’s name has been attached to the Clippers. The Miami Herald reported in February that the Heat were trying to trade Lowry, with the Clippers as a possible option. That never materialized, but both teams will likely be active again once the trade window opens.
Buckley also thinks that Lowry would be the perfect stop-gap point guard if the Clips move on from veteran Russell Westbrook, which is somewhat likely. “As for L.A., Lowry caught this club’s attention before, and he could still be on the radar, especially if the Clippers move on from Russell Westbrook this summer,” Buckley posited. “L.A. might want more stability at that spot than the dynamic-but-erratic Westbrook can provide, and Lowry could thrive with more scoring help around him.”
Heat Need to Add Difference Making Bigs ASAP
Heat down by 18. Bucks outscoring the Heat 32-16 in the paint and 24-9 from three.
Miami’s lack of size has never been more glaring than it has against the Bucks in the first round. Even without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in Game 2 of the series, the Bucks outscored the Heat 52-42 in the paint, also winning the rebound battle 45-41.
“Miami needs more two-way players up front, and both Marcus Morris Sr. and Robert Covington could fit the bill,” Buckley wrote, adding: “They were squeezed for minutes in L.A., but that says more about the Clippers’ depth than anything. Each is a disruptive defender and at least a serviceable shooter from range. Morris even brings a pinch of shot creation. They both have the requisite toughness to thrive with this culture-obsessed organization.”
Would Covington and Morris give the Heat a better duo inside than late-season additions Kevin Love and Cody Zeller? Maybe. The 6-foot-7, 209-pound Covington is 32 years old, and he averaged 6.0 points and 3.5 rebounds last season in 48 games with the Clips, logging 16.2 minutes a game as a reserve.
The 33-year-old Morris, who is 6’8″ and 218 pounds, is a better scorer than Covington, averaging 12.3 points over his 12-year career. Morris netted 11.2 points and 4.0 boards a game in 65 starts (28.1 minutes per game) this past season, but it’s debatable, whether Morris and Covington would add more power in the paint than Zeller, who has been better than expected, but neither he nor Love has given Miami what it needs to take that next step. And, while the Heat should definitely look to unload Lowery and his hefty contract, it’s unlikely Covington and Morris would be any better.
Heat got bigger at buyout deadline with Kevin Love and Cody Zeller and now can’t play them at this moment of truth, as they again are getting shrunk down to size.