Miami Heat Free Agency 2021: Miami had to overpay to win this year
By Isiah Curry
Should fans be worried that the Miami Heat overpaid for players?
However, a conflicting issue among the Heat fanbase is the extensions of Butler and Robinson. This also goes in tandem with Miami acquiring Lowry, who will receive up to $90 million over the next three years but will also be 36 years old in April.
As it’s doubtless that Miami emptied their pockets for an aging player, “overpaying” was the necessary move. Miami didn’t hold any leverage in a possible trade for Lowry, and he wasn’t taking a discount to join them.
The Heat needed to decide on the $19.4 million team option for Goran Dragic, for which they picked up and included in the trade for Lowry, the day before free agency began.
Although, if Miami decided to decline both Dragic’s option and the $15 million option on Andre Iguodala, the success of signing Lowry into cap space wouldn’t have been guaranteed. It also likely wouldn’t have been within the range of Lowry’s asking price.
While the 2021 Free Agency class lacked any perennial All-Stars (with the exception of Kawhi Leonard and Chris Paul, who each held player options), waiting for the 2022 class wasn’t an option for Miami.
Lowry was at the top of their list, and if the option is to pay $30 million a year for a complimentary piece in Butler’s window, as well as an enhancement talent to further develop a rising star in Adebayo, you do whatever’s necessary to bring in a player with that kind of virtue.