As reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski had confirmed by Kyle Lowry, the Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors have agreed to a sign-and-trade that will see the 35-year-old veteran heading to the Heat after nine seasons with the Raptors.
Per Wojnarowski, Lowry’s contract with Miami will be a three-year deal.
Although the details of the transaction have not been confirmed, Miami’s decision to pick up the $19.4 million player option on point guard Goran Dragic was considered a potential precursor to a sign-and-trade involving Lowry.
Dragic, second-year big man Precious Achiuwa and a second-round pick are reportedly headed to the Raptors in the deal, per Christian Hernandez of Miami Heat Beat.
Lowry’s addition to the Heat’s roster is indicative of a familiar competitive spirit boasted by Miami, with the gritty playmaker averaging 17.2 points and 7.3 assists per game in the 2020-21 season (while shooting 39.6 percent from 3-point range) and boasting extensive postseason experience.
Although the savvy Dragic and athletic Achiuwa—a first-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft—were valued by Miami, Achiuwa’s relative lack of scoring impact (5.0 points per game in 2020-21) and Dragic’s defensive shortcomings appear to have made the Heat comfortable trading them in their efforts to acquire Lowry, long-known as an impactful two-way player.
