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NBA Rumors: Heat's Kyle Lowry Subject of Trade Calls from Teams Ahead of Deadline

Doric Sam

The Miami Heat are reportedly receiving trade interest in one of their veteran starters.

Matt Moore of Action Network reports that point guard Kyle Lowry has been the subject of calls from other teams as the Feb. 9 trade deadline approaches.

"Some recent reporting out of Miami has suggested that Lowry is not available, but teams continue to call to gauge whether that remains true as the Heat struggle to generate anything resembling a functioning playoff-level offense," Moore stated.

At 28-23, Miami leads the Southeast Division and ranks sixth in the Eastern Conference. The Heat had struggled to achieve consistency at the start of the year, opening with an 18-18 record.

Lowry has started all 41 games he's appeared in and averages 12.4 points, 5.4 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals. The 36-year-old is past the point in his career where he's a primary offensive option, but he's still a steady contributor and reliable floor general.

Moore noted that the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers have been the "most aggressive in pursuing point guards." In addition to Lowry, Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors and Mike Conley of the Utah Jazz are reportedly considered the "big ones on the market."

The Clippers are a team to keep an eye on ahead of the trade deadline, as Moore reported that star forward Kawhi Leonard "made it clear" to the team's front office that he would welcome a point guard addition. Both Lowry and VanVleet played alongside Leonard when he led the Raptors to the 2019 NBA championship, so that familiarity could push Los Angeles to increase its aggression for one of them.

For now, Lowry will continue to try to help Miami find consistent success. The Heat will be going for their fourth win in five games when they take the floor on Tuesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers (30-21).

   

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