Pat Riley, the president of the Miami Heat and a former coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, has done it once more.
The president of the Miami Heat Pat Riley moved quickly sign contract with The Los Angeles Lakers Trade Target
According to numerous reports, Riley pulled off another heist when the Miami Heat acquired Terry Rozier, a trade target for the Lakers, in exchange for Kyle Lowry’s contract, which was set to expire, and a lottery-protected 2027 first-round pick that would become unprotected in 2028.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Rozier, Tyus Jones of Washington, Collin Sexton of Utah, and Bruce Brown of Toronro are among the players the Lakers are considering for backcourt support.
The Heat’s offer could have been easily exceeded by the Lakers. However, Riley’s long-standing friendship with Mitch Kupchak—his former teammate and general manager—helped to seal the deal between the Heat and the Hornets, who were rebuilding.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports that the Hornets plan to trade Lowry for another draft pick. However, contending teams may find Lowry’s $29.6 million salary this season to be too high. Should he remain untraded, Lowry might be considered for a buyout.
The Heat-Hornets deal might even open up trade markets for the other Lakers’ desired players. Furthermore, it eliminated the Heat from the Dejounte Murray sweepstakes.
Rozier, 27, is having a fantastic NBA season. He is averaging a career-high 23.2 points and 6.6 assists.
Lakers Eye Bruce Brown
Maybe there isn’t much of a Lakers interest in the 6-foot-1 Rozier. Wojnarowski said that the Lakers are targeting guard Bruce Brown, who is considerably taller and more experienced with winning championships.
