The Miami Heat, one of the NBA’s most prominent franchises, is reportedly open for business ahead of the league’s trade deadline.
The rest of the NBA has been made aware that two significant pieces from the Miami roster, namely Kyle Lowry and Nikola Jovic, are available for trade talks.
Report: Miami Heat have made Nikola Jovic and Kyle Lowry available in potential trades https://t.co/yEbY52nG5K
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 18, 2024
From as early as the last offseason, Miami Heat has been mulling over a roster revamp, with Kyle Lowry and Nikola Jovic at the center of these deliberations.
Their names had floating around in trade rumors involving Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers.
Despite their concerted efforts, Miami’s plans to capture Lillard’s talents didn’t materialize, and neither did potential deals for Bradley Beal or Jrue Holiday.
“I can say that with Kyle Lowry’s deal, and I think Nikola Jovic, the Heat do have two potential outgoing pieces that the rest of the league are at least talking about and have been made aware of are available,” NBA insider Jake Fischer said. “And I think maybe the Jovic piece is more so — when teams have been on the phone with Miami, the feedback they’ve been providing is, ‘Well, we’re gonna need a first or Jovic.’ And I think Jovic hasn’t necessarily been off the table, if that makes sense.
“That’s me saying I don’t think the Heat are shopping Nikola Jovic and Kyle Lowry around and seeing what they can get. I just think in conversations, that’s the kind of stuff that has been brought up.”
With the loss of Gabe Vincent through free agency, Miami has become increasingly reliant on Lowry in the backcourt for the 2024 season.
Despite his age, the 37-year-old veteran has started in all his 35 appearances so far, churning out averages of 8.5 points and 4. assists per game.
Young talent Nikola Jovic, merely in his second league season, has shown potential in just 15 games, averaging 6.5 points and 4.9 rebounds in less than 19 minutes per game.
Despite dealing with injuries from top performers like Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, and Bam Adebayo, the team has stayed in the playoff race’s thick in the Eastern Conference.
As the Thursday play opened, Miami Heat held on to the No. 6 seed in the conference with a solid 24-17 record. Yet, the team’s three-game winning streak snapped with a 121-97 loss to the Toronto Raptors recently.
Meanwhile, Eastern Conference rivals the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers have made some significant moves pre-deadline, adding fuel to the already heated competition.
Rumors suggest that Miami Heat has its sights set on a few potential acquisitions. One name that has been consistently linked is Atlanta Hawks’ point guard Dejounte Murray.
Additionally, the Heat is believed to maintain a strong interest in Cleveland Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell, though it seems he may remain with his current team for the foreseeable future.
The trade chatter concerning Lowry and Jovic continues to rumble, but it remains unknown whether the Hawks or Cavaliers form part of this discussion.
Despite the speculation, Miami Heat seems to be gearing up to negotiate a deal; poised and prepared as the trade deadline draws close.
