If the Miami Heat are going to make an upgrade between now and the trade deadline, the most obvious candidate to get traded is Kyle Lowry. He’s 37, on a chunky, $29.6 million contract and hasn’t been as helpful as the Heat need him to be. That’s fine! He’s a (likely) future Hall of Famer who is defying the odds just by being in the NBA at this stage of his career. But the Heat need to think about their future, and moving Lowry may prove to be prudent.
Among every full-time starting point guard in the NBA, Lowry ranks last in points (8.5), field goal attempts (6.5) and assists (4.0). Those are not indicators of a starting point guard on a championship contender. The Heat can do better.
Most insiders expect the Heat to be aggressive in their search for another ball-handler ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline. Here are a few trade ideas that could mark an upgrade.
Miami gets: Tyus Jones, Landry Shamet
Washington gets: Kyle Lowry, Dru Smith, 2026 second-round pick (via LAL)
The Heat have been linked to Tyus Jones by ESPN’s Zach Lowe, who proposed this trade this week on his podcast. The construction makes sense. Miami gets Jones, a Kyle Lowry disciple 10 years his younger, and Shamet, a helpful bit player whose salary can be easily waived next season.
The Wizards are unlikely to bring Jones back next season, so they can a valuable second-round pick back for his half-season of service. Not bad. And that 2026 pick from the Lakers could be sneakily valuable, particularly if LeBron James is no longer there.