Getty Kawhi Leonard and Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers have reportedly shown interest in trading for Kyle Lowry of the Miami Heat.
Trade rumors have been surrounding the Miami Heat for the last month and a half. Miami has fallen short of expectations so far this season after nearly reaching the NBA Finals last year. The Heat currently have a record of 26-22, which has them slotted at sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Fans of the team are hoping the Pat Riley and the front office manage to swing a trade to improve the roster before the February 9 NBA Trade Deadline.
Perhaps the player who has been rumored to be on the move the most is point guard Kyle Lowry.
Most recently, Kevin O’Connor of the Ringer reported that the Los Angeles Clippers could be interested in the former Toronto Raptors star. In a January 24, he went into detail about LA’s potential trade targets.
“League sources say the Clippers are also interested in Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet,” O’Connor wrote. “Lowry makes $28.3 million, and his decline with the Heat has been even more apparent this season than (Mike) Conley’s dip with the Jazz. Conley ranks 84th in our Top 100 NBA Player Rankings, while Lowry fell out entirely in the most recent update.”
The 36-year-old Lowry is in his second season with the Heat and still has another year left on his lucrative contract. Many fans believe that he hasn’t been worth his near-$30-million salary. Lowry has appeared in 39 of Miami’s 48 games this season, playing 34.2 minutes each time. The six-time All-Star has averaged 12.8 points, 5.4 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game on 40.9% shooting from the field and 34% from beyond the arc.
Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro Praise Kyle Lowry After Gutsy Win Over Pelicans
Though Lowry’s season as a whole has been a disappointment, his performance against the New Orleans Pelicans was not. The Heat guard scored nine straight points in the fourth quarter to help lead his team to gutsy win.
His teammates, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, showered him with praise after the final buzzer.
“You could just see his life grow. I know that sounds crazy but, as a basketball player when you get nine straight, it’s one of those things where we call that a heat check… It’s just one of those things where the basket looks like the ocean,” Adebayo told the media via Bally Sports Sun: Heat.
Bam Adebayo postgame press conference covers the end of the game, the Heat defense, Kyle Lowry and more 🔊
“I thought it was good to see,” said Herro via Bally Sports Sun: Heat. “You know Kyle, he can do that anytime that he really wants… He’s a seasoned vet, he’s closed many games, a lot of big games, and right now he’s just choosing to differ to me, Bam, and Jimmy (Butler), but there’s plenty of opportunities in front of us where he’ll be able to be aggressive and he knows, and we all know that he can do that and he’s capable of that still.”
Tyler Herro speaks after the HEAT victory against the Pelicans as the Heat have won 5 of their last 7
Heat’s Strus Could Be Traded For ‘High-Quality Starter’: Report
While Lowry may be the Heat player whose name is mentioned in rumors most, he certainly not the only one.
In a January 19 article for the Miami Herald, Barry Jackson suggested that Miami could move on from Max Strus in a trade for a higher-quality player.
“With Max Strus playing better recently, that could incline the Heat to keep him and sign him this summer, though Strus could be put in play for a high-quality starter,” he wrote.
Strus has appeared in 46 of Miami’s 48 games this season, playing 30.5 minutes each time. He’s averaging 12.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists, on 39.5% shooting from the field 33.1% from beyond the arc.