NBA Rumors: Heat 'Focused on' Kyle Lowry Trade; Clippers Linked amid Westbrook Buzz

The Miami Heat are reportedly hoping to move veteran point guard Kyle Lowry before the 3 p.m. ET NBA trade deadline on Thursday.

According to Anthony Chiang, Barry Jackson and David Wilson of the Miami Herald, the Heat are "focused on" a Lowry trade, and have a potential interested partner lined up in the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Clippers are also linked to another experienced point guard, as TNT and B/R's Chris Haynes reported Wednesday night that L.A. may pursue Russell Westbrook if he is bought out after getting traded from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Utah Jazz.

Miami signed Lowry to a three-year, $85 million contract in 2021 as part of a sign-and-trade deal with the Toronto Raptors. He makes about $28.3 million this season and will make $29.6 million next season before becoming a free agent in 2024.

Lowry won a championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, and the Heat were hopeful that the 36-year-old would be able to bring his title-winning experience to Miami and get the team over the hump.

The Heat reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season, and Lowry had a solid year, averaging 13..4 points, 7.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 three-pointers made and 1.1 steals per game, while shooting 44.0 percent from the field, which was the second-best mark of his career.

While his scoring was down significantly from the 17.5 points per game he averaged in nine seasons with the Raptors, it wasn't a huge concern due to the presence of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro as scorers.

Lowry's numbers have dropped across the board this season, however, to the tune of 12.0 points, 5.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 three-pointers made and 1.1 steals per game. He is also shooting just 39.6 percent from the floor, which is his worst efficiency since his rookie season with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2006-07.

The six-time All-Star has also dealt with a nagging knee injury this season, limiting him to 44 of the Heat's 55 games.

Miami doesn't have another pure point guard quite like Lowry, but trading him would open up more playing time for Gabe Vincent and perhaps allow Butler and Herro to control the ball more.

As for the Clippers, they have a logjam at guard, but have struggled to find the answer at their starting point guard spot as well.

Reggie Jackson and John Wall have gotten the most run at point guard, but both are having down years, and NBA insider Marc Stein reported Wednesday that the Clippers are planning to either trade Wall or buy him out.

If the Clippers move Wall and potentially make Jackson part of a hypothetical Lowry trade as well, Lowry would have the starting point guard position all to himself in L.A., and he would be flanked by the superstar duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

It is fair to wonder if Lowry can regain some of his diminishing skills or if he can even stay healthy down the stretch, but if he can come anywhere close to resembling the player he was in previous years, he would be a great fit to run the Clippers' offense.