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It’s no secret that the Miami Heat have wanted to land Toronto Raptors’ Kyle Lowry for a long time and now, the wait is finally over.
Hours before the free-agency period officially started on August 2, Yahoo! Sports’ Chris B. Haynes said Lowry to Miami was basically a “done deal.” But still, there was doubt the transaction would come to fruition following epic fake-out before the March 25 deadline.
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Yahoo’s Vincent Goodwill tweeted on August 2, “Kyle Lowry is expected to sign a three-year deal with the Miami Heat via sign and trade with the Toronto Raptors, sources tell @YahooSports,” and within minutes, a new Big 3 in Miami was born.
It appears the 35-year-old guard is officially taking his talents to South Beach. Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang tweeted, “Can confirm that Kyle Lowry has agreed to a three-year deal for about $90 million with the Heat. All three years are fully guaranteed, according to a league source.”
While he’s in the twilight of his career, Lowry is still delivering on the court. Lowry finished the 2020-21 NBA season averaging 17.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game.
Miami Will Send Veteran Goran Dragic, Precious Achiuwa & a Future Second Round Pick
According to the Miami Heat Beat, in exchange for Lowry, the Raptors will receive veteran Goran Dragic, the promising young talent that is Precious Achiuwa, and a future second-round pick.
After Miami picked up Dragic‘s team option ($19.4 million) and bypassed forward Andre Iguodala’s $15 million option, all the pieces are in place for the Heat to finally obtain Lowry.
Bleacher Report noted earlier on Monday that word around the league was that other teams have taken Lowry off their target list because his move to South Beach appeared to already be in the bag.
“It’s so indicative of a sign-and-trade incoming,” one Western Conference executive told Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer. “Dragic appears likely to head to Toronto in such an agreement, which sources around the league expect to include Precious Achiuwa,” Fischer reported. “There is a belief among rival executives that both Dragic and Achiuwa could be rerouted elsewhere in subsequent trades.”
With Miami offering Toronto Dragic and Precious Achiuwa ($2.7 million), the Heat were free to sign Lowry and remain within NBA salary cap rules.
Lowry Confirmed the Trade to Miami on Twitter
Lowry himself confirmed the deal was happening on Twitter just a half-hour after Yahoo! Sports reported on the transaction. Clearly, Lowry is excited to join Miami. He posted the same exact message on his Instagram stories.
The guard is also likely amped to play alongside best friend Jimmy Butler. The two became close while playing on Team USA at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Butler revealed earlier in the year that he picked Lowry to be his daughter’s godfather.
Butler’s been very open about wanting his best bud in Miami. During an interview with Lindsay Czarniak back in April, she asked Butler to name his favorite player to go up against.
“Probably Kyle Lowry,” said Butler. “Just because he’s one of my absolute best friends. He’s the godfather of my daughter. As competitive as it is, we’re always laughing, we’re always joking around. I would say something else, but then the NBA is gonna look at this and be like, ‘Oh my god, he’s tampering.’”
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