It was truly one of the more open secrets in recent memory, but at just after 6PM ET on August 2, Kyle Lowry was at last a member of the Miami Heat.
In the lead-up to the most recent trade deadline, the Heat front office tried valiantly until the last minute to acquire Lowry to help in their push for the postseason. But the eventual 4-0 series sweep in the first round of the playoffs at the hands of the eventual NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks left little doubt that changes needed to be made.
A target for several seasons, the Miami Heat finally landed their man in veteran All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry on the first day of free agency.
As Heat president Pat Riley stated his season-ending press conference:
"“We know what we have to do. We know the position that we’re in. We know that we have the flexibility that we need to go in a lot of different directions and either stay the same, either add to the mix. We know what we have to do, and we’ll do it. The market will probably determine a lot of that as we move forward, but I like the nucleus of our team. We have a great core with Jimmy [Butler] and Bam [Adebayo].”"
In the history of the NBA, only 4 players age 35 or older have ever signed a contract worth at least $20 million annually over multiple seasons: LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, and now Kyle Lowry. https://t.co/dyXHpLO6v0
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) August 2, 2021
Clearly, the defensive end of the floor was an area that Riley and his staff clearly targeted entering this incredibly pivotal offseason. In addition to Lowry, the Heat also signed veteran forward PJ Tucker to a two-year, $15 million deal, who when paired with the incumbent duo of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo makes for one of the more lethal defensive quartets in the league.
While a huge upgrade defensively at the point guard slot, Lowry’s ability to run an offense and lead a team deep into the playoffs is well proven. Over his past eight seasons, Lowry has averaged 18.3 points and 7.2 assists per game, with his incredible consistency the driving force behind being selected to six consecutive All-Star games.
Always ready for the big moment, Lowry rose to his best in posting 26 points and 10 assists in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals as the Toronto Raptors captured their first title in franchise history. In addition to the newly re-signed Duncan Robinson, Lowry will certainly provide a huge boost in the perimeter shooting department.
After finishing second in the league as a team in 3-point shooting for the 2019-20 season, the Heat dropped to 19th last season, with this drop one of a number of areas that caused the team to drop in their overall performance. Over his past six seasons, Lowry has shot at an efficient 38.3 percent clip from three on 7.5 attempts per game and is just one of 11 players throughout the league to have nailed at least 1000 triples during this span.
Like Tucker, Lowry’s accomplishment as a title-winning player is another added bonus he’ll be bringing to the franchise, in addition to his incredibly close personal relationship with Butler.
So while the Miami Heat were highly underwhelming in backing up their trip to the 2020 NBA Finals, adding a player with the presence and poise of Kyle Lowry is a heck of a way to kick off their preparations for next season and beyond.