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Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported today that the Miami Heat have expressed interest in trading for LaMarcus Aldridge and Kyle Lowry.
Story: The Miami Heat expressed interest in acquiring Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry and San Antonio Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge. Details of the trade packages discussed on @hoopshype. https://t.co/wGYNAHpn8W
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) March 14, 2021
Scotto reported that Miami discussed Goran Dragic, Kelly Olynyk and Kendrick Nunn in a potential trade for Lowry. It appears unlikely that the Heat will trade Dragic — and it’s not just because of his 20-point fourth quarter Friday night. He has a no-trade clause in his contract, and he’s one of Jimmy Butler’s best friends.
Worth noting: For a trade involving Goran Dragic, Goran has right to veto any deal because of current structure of his contract. Only way to override would be for Heat to pick up team option for '21-22 before such a deal, meaning acquiring team would add $19.4M '21-22 obligation.
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) March 14, 2021
As for Aldridge, that deal appears more plausible. Scotto said that Miami has “dangled” Avery Bradley, Moe Harkless and Meyers Leonard to match salaries, though the Heat would have to add in a player on a low-salary contract like Chris Silva or KZ Okpala. Harkless and Leonard have both been non-factors this season.
As for Bradley, he’s had injuries and a long stint in the COVID-19 health and safety protocols derail his season. Pat Riley and Butler both recruited him during the off-season, and Miami brought him in to address their point-of-attack defensive issues. Though he showed some nice flashes early in the year, he’s appeared in just 10 games.
Moreover, Bradley’s return could also create a logjam in the backcourt. When Bradley played early in the season, Kendrick Nunn was out of the rotation. But now Nunn has regained his starting position, and Tyler Herro and Dragic are also rotation fixtures.
Any Heat fan would rather have Lowry than Aldridge if it came down to one or the other. But they each have high salaries — Lowry at $30 million, Aldridge at $24 million — that it’d be difficult to trade for them both without gutting the roster.
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