The Miami Heat will be looking to aggressively improve their team this summer after their 2021-22 season ended with a loss at the hands of rivals Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. With players like PJ Tucker expected to leave, Miami has been trying to make upgrades to this roster, with players like Bradley Beal and Kyrie Irving linked to the team.
To make these trades happen, the Heat will have to trade someone on a large contract away. Duncan Robinson alone isn’t enough to get Miami in the race to get Beal or Irving. Considering Miami’s interest in Kyrie, many reported that Kyle Lowry may be involved in certain trade packages to Brooklyn to accommodate a returning Kyrie to play alongside Jimmy Butler.
According to Bobby Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Heat have no intention of trading Lowry and expects him to be back next season. The team has assured Lowry of the same and promised him that he wasn’t involved in trade packages for Irving.
Miami had zero intentions of trading Kyle Lowry for Kyrie Irving, per @flasportsbuzz
“The Heat has assured Lowry that it has no intention of trading him for Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving, according to a source briefed on the situation.” pic.twitter.com/3Kplfpeq8L
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 29, 2022
The Heat are doing the right thing by sticking with Lowry considering there are no obvious upgrades on the market. Irving accepted his player option to go back to Brooklyn for one more season and Beal is expected to sign a massive extension with the Washington Wizards.
Lowry averaged 13.4 points and 7.5 assists, indicating an evident decline in his game over the last few years. His playoff performances were extremely rough, averaging just 7.8 points on absolutely awful shooting splits (29.1% from the field, 25% from three).
Miami could be better served using Lowry’s $28 million next season on other players that can genuinely make an impact. His age and declining game have worried the Heat, who see their championship window shrink every year. At least Irving or Beal would give them a new path into contention again.
