The Miami Heat have apparently been disappointed in the production of veteran point guard Kyle Lowry this season, to the point that they tried to trade him.
Although they found no takers for him before last Thursday’s trade deadline, they’re hopeful he will pick up his level of play.
Throughout process, as we noted week before trade deadline, adding size (even better, size than can shoot) has remained Heat priority. Heat coaching staff believes they can get something out of Lowry when he returns, likely in March at some point https://t.co/W17oqPbCTG
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) February 16, 2023
Lowry is currently out with a knee ailment. He will have the long All-Star break to rest and recuperate before Miami takes the court again next Friday in a showdown against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.
The guard, who is nearing his 37th birthday, has seen his productivity dip this season, especially when it comes to his shooting efficiency. He is shooting just 39.6 percent overall from the field and 33.3 percent from 3-point range, and his 12.0 points per game average is his lowest in over a decade.
Lowry’s level of play is a far cry from where it was just three years ago, where he averaged 19.4 points and 7.5 assists a contest in his penultimate season with the Toronto Raptors.
A big reason why the Heat tried to move him, and also failed to do so, was his contract. He’s due a total of about $28.33 million this season, and next season that figure will increase to $29.68 million.
His contract will expire in the summer of 2024, so perhaps this offseason he will be seen as having some type of value by other teams in the form of upcoming salary-cap relief.
Miami has a 32-27 record, which puts it in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, but if it is to make any type of serious run in the playoffs, it has to do something about its impotent offense. It is currently the lowest-scoring team in the NBA, and its 3-point shooting, which has been a major weapon for it the last few years, is on vacation.
The Heat currently rank just 28th in 3-point shooting percentage and don’t have any rotation players shooting above 37.0 percent from that distance this season.
