The Miami Heat don’t have to do anything. The organization has made the Eastern Conference Finals in three of the previous four seasons – even cracking the NBA Finals twice. Not only is Eric Spoelstra arguably the best head coach in the NBA, but few players in the league can turn it on better than Jimmy Butler come playoff time. This combination means the Heat always have a shot, and their front office knows that.
At the same time, Miami has yet to clear the last hurdle. They have lost both Finals appearances to superstar-caliber players (LeBron James and Nikola Jokic), and the road isn’t getting any easier. Especially with Butler only getting older, the time to strike gold is now. And this feels like precisely why Kyle Lowry’s name is on the trade block.
The veteran point guard is in the final year of his three-year deal. Turning 38 years old in March, his time in the NBA is dwindling, as is his role in Miami. The guard recently moved back to the bench and is averaging roughly 24 minutes per game over his last nine outings. He’s averaged just 4.4 points on 29.4 percent shooting since the calendar flipped to 2024. For a team with Finals aspirations, his spot in the rotation is an obvious area to upgrade. But don’t take my word for it.
The Miami Heat appear to be moving toward an end game with Kyle Lowry in the wake of his shift to a reserve role the past two games.
Resolution with the veteran point guard is not only expected by the Feb. 8 NBA trading deadline, but potentially could come as early as this week,” Winderman wrote.
Lucky for the Heat, Lowry is on an expiring deal with $29 million. The contract provides them with a great opportunity to add another high-impact starter to pair with Butler. They’d likely have to add another asset to convince an organization to take on Lowry’s contract, but we all know there are often a handful of teams willing to play that game. And the Chicago Bulls should be one of them.
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