SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – FEBRUARY 13: Tyler Herro #14 of the Miami Heat looks on during a game against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena on February 13, 2021 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
The Heat made the right decision by holding onto Tyler Herro instead of including him in a trade for Kyle Lowry.
One of the biggest surprises from Thursday’s trade deadline is that Kyle Lowry will remain with the Toronto Raptors. The team apparently couldn’t find a deal worth making and one team reportedly in on the talks was the Miami Heat.
However, several reports indicated the Raptors wanted Tyler Herro in any Lowry deal. Trading a blossoming 21-year-old star for a 35-year-old guard on an expiring deal would have been quite the shocking move. The Heat made the right decision to turn down this offer from Toronto.
Heat smart to keep Herro instead of going all-in with Lowry
Herro is only in his second NBA season and was a key piece on last year’s team that went all the way to the NBA Finals. He is a building block for the future and flipping him for the much older Lowry would have been a head-scratching move and an absolute steal for the Raptors.
Herro ranks third on the Heat in scoring and forms a dynamic trio alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. The rising star is also on an extremely team-friendly deal that would have required a much bigger haul than just Lowry to complete a trade.
The Heat stayed smart and ended up acquiring Victor Oladipo from the free-falling Houston Rockets instead. LaMarcus Aldrige is also reportedly on Miami’s radar in the buyout market.
Miami enters play Thursday with a 22-22 record, good enough for the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Spots 4-10 are a total logjam, so Heat fans should not panic if the team drops for a short amount of time.
The front office seems to be confident in this group that reached the NBA Finals last year and adding both Oladipo and Aldridge may end up being much better than simply getting Lowry.