Getty Terry Rozier against the New York Knicks.
The Miami Heat have landed Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier for Kyle Lowry and a 2027 first-round draft pick, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The New York Knicks have shown interest in Terry Rozier in the past, but with him now going to Miami, they’ll likely look for other guards to fill their need.
JUST JN: Miami is nearing a trade to acquire Charlotte’s Terry Rozier for a package sending Kyle Lowry and draft compensation that includes a first-round pick, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
Reports have indicated that the Knicks were interested in landing Rozier as Fred Katz of The Athletic linked him and others to the Knicks recently.
“Some players who fit that description include (in no particular order): the Portland Trail Blazers’ Malcolm Brogdon, the Utah Jazz’s Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton, the Charlotte Hornets’ Terry Rozier, the Indiana Pacers’ Bruce Brown and T.J. McConnell, the Atlanta Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanović, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Caris LeVert and the Dallas Mavericks’ Tim Hardaway Jr.”
While Rozier is certainly a better player than Lowry, it’s possible that the veteran becomes a buyout option. Steve Popper of NewsDaySports had the following to say on the Knicks potentially adding Lowry:
“If Knicks wanted Lowry — and he fits their needs and probably still haunts them from last year’s postseason — it would likely have to be in a buyout market. I’m not a capologist, but matching salaries nearly impossible — Fournier ($18.8m) vs. Lowry ($29.7m).”
Popper doesn’t indicate the Knicks’ interest but does note that he fits their needs.
Knicks Interest in Kyle Lowry
It’s uncertain at the moment if the Knicks do have an interest in Lowry, but multiple reporters have indicated that he’s a potential buyout candidate.
Given that he’s a veteran who could do what the Knicks are looking for off the bench, he does become a potential player to look out for. He’s certainly past his prime, but as a buyout option, the Knicks won’t find much better.
He’s averaging the fewest amount of points since his third year in the league with the Houston Rockets where he averaged 8.7 points per game. Lowry’s 28 minutes per game are also the fewest since the 2009-10 season.
Does This Take the Heat Out of the Dejounte Murray Race?
If the New York Knicks do decide to pursue Lowry, it’d solve some of the issues that they’ve had on the bench. However, Dejounte Murray is the biggest target during this trade deadline. It’s uncertain if the Knicks are willing to trade what the Atlanta Hawks are asking for him, but with the deadline approaching, they could up their offer.
Marc Stein reported that no team has met the Hawks’ asking price when it comes to a Murray trade.
“A team has yet to emerge that is willing to meet Atlanta’s demands in a Murray swap. The Hawks are said to be seeking two future firsts and team-friendly contracts in return. But there are still nearly three weeks to go for someone to make that sort of offer,” Stein said on January 19 during his weekly chat with his paid substack newsletter subscribers.
If the Knicks can land Murray in a trade or Lowry as a buyout, they become a better team.