Timberwolves’ D’Angelo Russell to heat?
NBA Analytics NetworkThe Miami Heat is another solid team defensively this NBA season, ranking third in defensiv…
The Miami Heat is another solid team defensively this NBA season, ranking third in defensive rating. But if they want to get over the hump and become a true contender for the NBA championship, they need to make improvements offensively.
There’s a lot of pressure on Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro right now to do everything offensively. They are the team’s three top scorers and also three of the better playmakers.
One of the reasons they carry so much of the burden is Kyle Lowry’s performance. Lowry is a gamer and a consummate professional, but a strong argument could be made that the Heat may not be able to reach that championship level until they move away from him.
Lowry has really seen his on-field production decline since he came to South Beach. His deteriorating health is a big reason for that, as he’s having arguably his worst season since becoming a starter in the NBA.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: D’Angelo Russell, Minnesota Timberwolves & Miami Heat Updates
It won’t be easy to trade him, but the Heat should look around and see what they can come up with. A possible trading partner could be the Minnesota Timberwolves, who reportedly dangle D’Angelo Russell in trade talks.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks proposed a deal that would send Russell and a 2028 second-round pick to the Heat in exchange for Lowry and Dewayne Dedmond. That would be a huge risk for Minnesota to take on Lowry, who has one season left on his contract. But monetarily it could make a lot of sense as it would allow them to keep key rotational players in Taurean Price and Jordan McLaughlin without going over the luxury tax.
From Miami’s perspective, such a deal would likely be considered a win. They would come out from under the last season of Lowry’s deal, which seems like a sunk cost at the moment. Russell has some shortcomings defensively, but given Miami’s dominance on that side of the field, they should be able to make up for that.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: D’Angelo Russell, Minnesota Timberwolves & Miami Heat Updates
Where Russell would really help the team is offensively. He would provide them with another skilled ball handler, shooter and scorer. Although his defense leaves something to be desired, Russell is in the middle of the best shooting season of his career. He makes 46.4 percent of his shots overall and 38.9 percent from 3-point range, averaging 18.1 points per game.
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