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The Miami Heat somehow wandered into this season with just one true point guard: Kyle Lowry. Once upon a time, that was probably okay; Lowry was one of the league’s better assist-men at his peak.
The only problem? His peak coincided with the passage of the Affordable Care Act. This season, the number of points that have come off a Lowry assist is the lowest since Lowry’s sophomore season, when he was still a member of the *gasp* Memphis Grizzlies.
As a result, it’s no surprise that Miami is looking into outside options to add some depth to the point guard spot. And according to Timberwolves reporter Darren Wolfson, the Heat have shown an interest in acquiring Minnesota’s D’Angelo Russell in trade talks.
D’Angelo Russell’s Fit with the Heat
If any team could get the best out of D’Angelo Russell, it’s probably the Miami Heat. A former top-three pick, Russell has largely failed to live up to his 2015 draft status.
But he’s shown flashes of potential. In 2018, Russell averaged nearly 22 points per game and seven assists to lead an upstart Brooklyn Nets team to the playoffs. And last season, he did much of the same with the Minnesota Timberwolves, nearly leading the team to a shock upset over the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs.
This season, however, Russell’s seen his role in Minnesota diminish. His usage is down to 25.5 percent, a factor brought on by Minnesota’s addition of Rudy Gobert to the lineup and former top pick Anthony Edwards’ continued ascension.
In Miami, Russell might be able to function similarly to his role in Brooklyn. Aided by a decent rim-runner in Bam Adebayo (his foil in Brooklyn was Jarrett Allen), Russell could feasibly reignite his career in South Beach.
The Heat Are ‘Willing’ to Move on From Kyle Lowry
The news about Miami’s interest in Russell comes amidst speculation about Lowry’s future. According to NBA insider Ric Bucher, Lowry’s deal is one that the Heat would not be opposed to getting out from under.
“One league source said the Heat are willing to move Kyle Lowry, but at 37, and with another year left on a three-year $85 million deal, it’s hard to identify a team that would take him on and provide the Heat with an upgrade,” Bucher wrote on December 3 in his “Front Office Confidential” column.
Lowry’s contract isn’t the lone eyesore on Miami’s payroll. Duncan Robinson’s five-year, $90 million behemoth was recently called out by an Eastern Conference executive, per Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney.
“You can argue that, for its length, he has the worst contract in the league,” the executive told Deveney.
Russell, for his part, is an expiring contract, which is likely far more appealing to the Heat than the long-term deals still on the books for Lowry and Duncan. Though he’s set to make $31 million this season, it’s a bullet Miami could rationalize for one season if the club believes it would help in the push for a playoff run. At 16-15, Miami could use all the help it can get, though the recent four-game win streak does suggest brighter days are ahead.
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