NBA Rumors: Miami Heat Chances On Raptors Star Will Depend On Asking Salary – Report

The Miami Heat could make another big splurge this NBA offseason with reports that Kyle Lowry may be headed to South Beach. However, pundits reportedly feel team president Pat Riley can look at other players who would cost them less.

Lowry could join the Heat due to his excellent relationship with Jimmy Butler and him being a good culture fit, Bleacher Report's Mandela Namaste suggested in April. Lowry is likely to seek a deal in the vicinity of $50 million for at least two seasons, Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey previously reported.

But at 35 and considering he played only 46 games last NBA season, there are risks involved. Although he managed to average 17.2 points, 7.3 assists and 5.4 rebounds, the concern here is that the Heat needs someone who can spend more time on the floor than on the bench.

There is also the angle of how the six-time NBA All-Star would be used. He could be nothing more than a floor space on the team that has Butler and Victor Oladipo. The latter is another veteran often injured, fueling the question of whether Riley and head coach Erik Spoelstra should look at young players and upcoming free agents with cheaper contracts.

If not the Heat, Lowry is likely aware he has options. Aside from the Raptors, the Philadelphia 76ers have also been linked to the one-time NBA champion, according to Bleacher Report. It would make sense since head coach Doc Rivers needs a high-level half-court shot creator on the team.

But if all else fails, Lowry could always stay with the Raptors and end his career there. He hardly made an impact last season, but head coach Nick Nurse would likely want to keep him considering he is a veteran who has shone brightly for the former NBA champions.

There were easter eggs that most felt were signs that the 6-foot guard would be leaving Toronto for another team.

While it is possible, Toronto Raptors Superfan Nav Bhatia weighed in on all that and is confident that Lowry may stay. But then again, he said it is all up to Lowry, and he, along with other Raptors fans, will respect whatever he decides to do. Bhatia made the comments when he appeared in an exclusive interview with Filipino journalists Brian Yalung and Vincent Juico on “Sports For All Philippines.”

“I don’t know but he has been a great Raptor and I salute him. I thank him for what he does on the court and inside the locker. I want him to come back. But if he decides to go somewhere, I think it’s his right do that. We should respect that. We wish him all the best if he decides to leave,” Bhatia said during the exclusive interview.