By now, it is no secret that Miami Heat guard Kyle Lowry is a possible trade asset for the team.
There have simply been too many rumors involving Lowry lately to claim that there is no fire smoldering somewhere within all that smoke. As the trade deadline on Feb. 9 inches closer, the rumors may increase.
Lowry recently spoke out about all the rumors and made it clear that he wants to stay with the Heat.
“I’ve been in trade rumors before,” he told the Miami Herald. “I have a very nice contract that can be moved. The organization believes in me and I’m glad to be here.
“I want to stay. I enjoy this place. I picked this place. I feel we have a chance to always compete for a title. With Jimmy [Butler], Bam [Adebayo], Tyler [Herro] and Spo (Erik Spoelstra) as a coach we always have an opportunity.”
The sentiment is obviously a nice one, but it likely won’t change much in the eyes of the Heat’s front office if the decision-makers there are truly determined to move him. The NBA can be a tough business, but the Heat are not known for letting emotions get in the way of moves that have the potential to improve their roster.
The question, however, remains regarding whether or not the Heat could actually get a deal involving Lowry done that would markedly improve things for them.
Based on recent reports, the Heat seem quite interested in D’Angelo Russell of the Minnesota Timberwolves. It is currently unclear how strongly the Wolves feel about Lowry.
On paper, a trade involving the two players makes sense. Russell is a much younger guard who, at this point in their respective careers, is arguably a better offensive player than Lowry is.
Lowry makes sense for the Wolves because he could come in as a talented veteran leader with championship pedigree. The Wolves have seemingly been a victim of their own lack of experience and youth throughout the last few seasons.
So far this season, Lowry is averaging 12.4 points, 5.4 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game. He’s hitting 40.3 percent of his field goals and 33.6 percent of his 3-pointers. Most of those numbers are below his career averages.
Some Heat fans have complained about his scoring average this season, but that doesn’t seem to bother the former first-round pick.
“I don’t care,” he said. “Of course, I would love to average 25, but if it doesn’t win games and doesn’t help our team overall, it doesn’t matter. I would rather get two points and help these guys win the game.”
Only time will tell whether or not Lowry will be able to improve upon his scoring with the Heat past the trade deadline.