3 Players the Heat might replace Kyle Lowry with by the trade deadline
By Will Salinas
Tyus Jones, Washington Wizards
The final player that could replace Kyle Lowry is Tyus Jones from the Washington Wizards. Jones is more of a traditional point guard than Dinwiddie and Caruso and he could be on the outs due to the Wizards starting their rebuild. It'll be interesting to see if the Wizards are keen on keeping Jones as a prospect or maximizing the trade value they can get for him.
Jones is having a similar season to last year hanging in the eight to ten points per game range, shooting 37% from 3 just like last season, and earning a steal per game. You know what you'll get from Jones, and Jones would more than likely be sent in a package that could also include Danilo Gallinari.
The pros are that Jones is younger and a more consistent 3-point shooter than Lowry, is on a one-year deal, and fits the timeline for Herro and Adebayo at age 27. He's not a long-term solution, but more of a worst-case pick-up if Lowry hits a mean regression. If Jones doesn't work out, he walks after the year and you have neither a bad Lowry nor Jones contract on the payroll.
It'd be hard to see the Wizards charge a first-round pick for an expiring player, so regardless of what the deal looks like, it may just take salary matching and second-round picks for Jones and another player or two.
It might be too early to put together a trade package for Kyle Lowry and then ship him out, but it's not too early to take tabs on players and watch to see what some of these rebuilding and lower-end teams end up doing. If Lowry sustains this play, that's a win for the Heat, and it would be understandable if they didn't capitalize off his trade value. They're trying to win a championship.
However, it becomes an issue if Lowry is giving mediocre play and the Heat aren't willing to give up assets to improve the roster. Lowry leaving after after a unfulfilling season with the Heat getting nothing in return would be a bad look going into the off-season.