The Phoenix Suns were “very interested” in acquiring Kyle Lowry from the Miami Heat in a multi-team Damian Lillard trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. The Blazers wound up trading Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks, while the Suns acquired Jusuf Nurkic from Portland.
Lowry is due $29.7 million next season in the final year of the three-year, $85 million deal he signed with the Heat in 2021. The Heat wanted to trade Lowry in a package for Lillard, but Portland refused to send Lillard to Miami.
A six-time All-Star, Lowry averaged 11.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 2022-23. The 37-year-old put up 9.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game in the 2023 playoffs against the Bucks, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets. The Heat lost to the Nuggets in the NBA Finals in five games.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Kyle Lowry, Damian Lillard, Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat Updates
Lowry has career NBA averages of 14.6 points and 6.3 assists with the Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors and Heat. The Suns could use Lowry’s services since they don’t have a traditional point guard on the roster after trading Chris Paul and Cameron Payne this offseason.
Phoenix is expected to start Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Josh Okogie, Kevin Durant and Nurkic next season. The Suns, who lost to the Nuggets in the 2023 Western Conference Semifinals in six games, fired Monty Williams as head coach and hired Frank Vogel, who won the 2020 NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Kyle Lowry, Damian Lillard, Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat Updates
After failing to acquire Lillard, the Heat will attempt to trade for Jrue Holiday, who was traded by the Bucks to the Blazers. Several contenders are interested in trading for Holiday, one of the best players in the NBA.
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