Maybe the meeting between LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh didn’t go well after all. According to a report, the Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors are exploring a trade that would send free agent point guard Kyle Lowry to South Beach and ultimately lead to Bosh returning to Canada.
The news is courtesy of Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher.
Source: Toronto looking to S&T Kyle Lowry to Miami for cash and future picks. Part II: Bosh opts out, returns to Toronto.
— Ric Bucher (@RicBucher) June 27, 2014
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Now hearing that Norris Cole would also be part of the Lowry-to-Miami deal.
— Ric Bucher (@RicBucher) June 27, 2014
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It’s imperative to note that these theoretical Lowry and Bosh situations aren’t necessarily connected. Toronto and Miami could complete a Lowry trade, Bosh and his star teammates could take pay-cuts, and the Heat could be stronger than ever. On the flip-side, Bosh could head north of the border and Lowry could stay put or sign with another team. Obviously, these rumored events aren’t mutually exclusive, either.
The smoke about Lowry and Miami that’s been there since February’s trade deadline has only gotten thicker in the last few weeks. The Heat need to shuffle their deck to entice James to re-sign with them, and upgrading at point guard seems a logical solution even though they just acquired prized rookie Shabazz Napier. Plus, Lowry recently expressed his desire to compete for titles in an interview with Basketball Insiders.
“I’m happy with making the playoffs and doing that, but the end game for all players should be a championship and that’s what I want to play for,” Lowry said. “I want to play for a championship.”
Any team with James will be a contender, but Bosh’s importance to Miami can’t be understated. He’s absolutely vital to the Heat’s identity at both ends of the floor, creating hordes of space for LeBron and Wade on offense and functioning as arguably the league’s best pick-and-roll defender on the other end. Would Miami be the championship threat that not only Lowry, but more importantly James, desires if it allowed Bosh to walk in free agency? That seems dubious, and casts doubt on the likelihood of this entire scenario.
This is certainly news to consider, however. Lowry is probably the best free agent point guard on the market, and any hints that the Heat’s Big Three might break up would drastically alter the league’s present and future landscapes. Until this rumor is confirmed by others, though, it’s best to treat it as just more fun offseason fodder.
What do you think?
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