Miami Heat point guard Kyle Lowry has been away from the team for personal reasons for quite some time, but the one-time champ could end up making his return for the squad in the near future.
According to a recent report, Lowry “could be back soon” with the Heat.
Word in Toronto on Tuesday was that Kyle Lowry could be back soon with the Heat. He has been away for a family matter. Heat play Thursday in San Antonio, Saturday in Charlotte.
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) February 2, 2022
Lowry has missed the last nine games that the Heat have played. His team has gone 5-4 in that stretch. The Heat started out quite strong early on his Lowry’s absence, but they have lost their last three games. As a result, the Heat have fallen out of the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference, and they now stand at the No. 3 seed.
As for his Heat teammates, there is no doubt that they understand that Lowry must put family matters ahead of basketball. Still, they would love to have their point guard back when possible. Star player Jimmy Butler said as much ahead of Saturday’s loss to the Toronto Raptors.
“I think it’s always really important to realize basketball is second, third,” Butler said. “It’s not around that area on people’s list of importance. You’ve always got to make sure the family is good, yourself is good.
“And it just feels good to know that we’ve got guys that could step in and do what Kyle does for us. But I miss him. We all miss him. We want him and his family to be OK.”
Lowry joined the Heat this past offseason, and he has had an immediate positive impact. So far this season, the veteran is averaging 13.4 points, 8.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. On top of that, Lowry brings crucial championship pedigree to a team that is itching to get back to the NBA Finals this season.
Of course, family matters most in this situation. Luckily, it sounds like Lowry’s family matters are on their way to getting resolved and that he’ll soon rejoin his teammates.
