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Kyle Lowry has long been in the mix to hop a flight to South Beach and team up with Jimmy Butler. The Miami Heat inquired about him at the trade deadline. Now there is new speculation that Lowry’s former teammate with the Toronto Raptors could be looking for a boarding pass on that flight.
Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report compiled a “Free-Agency Big Board” for every NBA team heading into the 2021 offseason. Lowry’s name was predictably on it, along with San Antonio Spurs forward DeMar DeRozan who has 58 playoff starts under his belt. The two last played together in Toronto during the 2017-18 season when they both made the All-Star team.
Not trading for Lowry at the deadline could be a blessing in disguise, especially if the Heat can sign the veteran point guard during the offseason without giving up any assets.
DeRozan is another interesting option. He’s an excellent playmaker and scorer who would fit in perfectly on the wing with Jimmy Butler and brings 58 playoff starts worth of experience. Would Lowry and DeRozan each take a major pay cut to team up again?
It’s a fun rumor, but is it feasible? Lowry (six-time All-Star) and DeRozan (four-time All-Star) would have to take pay cuts to make it work, plus they are aging players on the decline skill-wise. DeRozan will turn 32 on Aug. 7 and Lowry just celebrated his 35th birthday in March.
There’s no denying the fact they would greatly improve the Heat’s 24th-ranked offense, as Swartz points out, but Miami shouldn’t be so short-sighted. Remember, the idea of Pat Riley going after a “giant whale” like Kawhi Leonard or Bradley Beal remains in play. As always, stay tuned.
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Duncan Robinson, Restricted Free Agent
The other name to watch is Duncan Robinson, a restricted free agent next season who could fetch up to $15 million per year. The Heat will have the right to match any offer thrown at the 27-year-old wing player. However, the price tag keeps rising with each three-pointer he drains — and there’s a lot of them going in right now.
Robinson hit five deep balls on Monday versus Houston to pass Dwyane Wade for sixth place on the franchise’s all-time list (482). He became the fastest NBA player to record 300 three-pointers for his career back in January, too. He’s averaging 13.1 points per game while shooting 40.9% from deep this season.
D-Wade Comments on Derek Chauvin Guilty Verdict
Wade has never been shy about voicing his opinion publicly on issues involving racial equality and social justice. The Miami Heat legend was quick to share his candid thoughts on the Derek Chauvin guilty verdict in Minneapolis.
“Today showed to me, the power of community,” Wade said during the “NBA on TNT” pre-game broadcast. “Today, it gave us some sort of … we’ve seen some sort of ability to see change. Right? And if there was any win today … and like Shaq [Shaquille O’Neal] said, you can’t celebrate this, but if there was any win today, to me it was a win for accountability.”
The Heat also put out a powerful statement on the verdict, saying: “While we are heartened by the trial’s outcome, and, frankly, relieved, much work remains ahead of us on behalf of the countless Black Americans we’ve lost to unceasing violence, to reform our justice system so that it lives up to its promise to provide liberty and justice for all.”
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