Amid buzz about the Miami Heat preferring not to trade Kyle Lowry or break up their roster ahead of the 2023 trade deadline, other teams are apparently still trying to determine if the veteran point guard is indeed unavailable.
“The three big ones on the market are Fred VanVleet, Mike Conley and Kyle Lowry,” Matt Moore of Action Network wrote regarding point guards. “Some recent reporting out of Miami has suggested that Lowry is not available, but teams continue to call to gauge whether that remains true as the Heat struggle to generate anything resembling a functioning playoff-level offense.”
With the six-time All-Star struggling to make a substantial impact for the Heat this season, he is understandably the subject of plenty of trade rumors. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Clippers are teams that have been linked to the veteran.
It remains to be seen if Lowry will end the season in a Heat uniform. He recently addressed the rumors and reiterated his desire to remain in Miami.
While his presence on the roster is likely highly valued by several people within the organization, the fact remains that the former champion has been a shell of his best self in the 2022-23 season. His numbers are down, as he entered Sunday averaging 12.4 points and 5.4 assists per contest.
He has also been struggling at putting the ball in the basket, shooting just 40.3 percent from the field and 33.6 percent from beyond the arc going into Sunday. For comparison, he holds career shooting clips of 42.4 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from deep.
The Heat’s performance this season has been a bit disappointing, especially considering that they were one win away from reaching the NBA Finals in the 2021-22 campaign. They currently sport a record of 28-23, which ranks No. 6 in the East. However, things have been looking up recently for the squad, as it was multiple games below the .500 mark at various points earlier in the season.
Still, the offense could use some help as Miami has one of the least statistically productive offenses in the entire league. Of course, it is unclear if moving Lowry would solve the problem.