Kyle Lowry’s default to trade D’Angelo Russell could solve a lot of problems for both the Miami Heat and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
On his podcast, Brian Windhorst does a dossier suggestion That the Heat should be looking to move Kyle Lowry to the Timberwolves. Swapping Lowry for D’Angelo Russell could make a lot of sense for both teams.
For Miami, Kyle Lowry hasn’t produced much offensively. He struggled to score, shooting only 40.5 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from outside the arc. While he still offers seasoned defense and leadership, he doesn’t offer as much offense as he did in years past.
Miami on the other hand is not performing up to expectations. They’re still currently in the playing spots after finishing last season in the Conference Finals, and the Bucks, Nets, and Celtics should all be considered better bets for making it to the Finals. If The Heat wants to be one of the best in the East, it has to get better with the commercial market.
On the other hand, the Minnesota Timberwolves are struggling in a big way. After making a trade for Rudy Gobert and going all in by trading a bunch of first-round draft picks, the team was under 500 and is currently behind The Jazz Reconstruction Team (with whom they traded) in the standings.
One of the main reasons the Timberwolves struggle is on defense, which is a big problem considering they’ve spent so much to get Rudy Gobert to anchor the inside defense. D’Angelo Russell is a terrible defender on the outside perimeter, things are bad and getting worse but they have enough offense to compete, especially when Karl-Anthony Towns is healthy and moving Russell for a defensive upgrade could be massive.
Why D’Angelo Russell is to trade for Kyle Lowry makes sense to everyone
Windhorst gave an excellent business idea that would work. He suggested moving Lowry to the Timberwolves and in return, the Heat received a good offensive player. Obviously, that player is D’Angelo Russell. Not only would the Heat get away with Lowry’s contract, but they would get an expired contract in exchange for it.
This would allow the Heat to be taxed next season. The only negative for the Heat is that with the negotiable number of draft picks and limited space for next season, it will be difficult for them to replace Russell if he doesn’t re-sign. However, if you are able to get an extension with Russell if it would be a good move because Jimmy Butler is locked in for the long haul (and aged), and his offense will likely fade before his defense does.
For the Timberwolves, this trade works well because it allows them to get some perimeter defense without taking too much on the table at the other end. While Russell is a good player, he just doesn’t fit in this team.
Plus, Lowry’s huge contract wouldn’t be much of a concern since the Timberwolves don’t have much room for next season, to begin with. Plus, the extension of Anthony Edwards is coming, while you still have to pay Nas Reid this offseason, so it’s not like Minnesota is going to be a big spender in free agency anyway. This trade idea can be mutually beneficial.
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