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Report: Heat positioning to be favorites for Lowry via sign-and-trade

Michael Reaves / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The Miami Heat are hoping to entice the Toronto Raptors with a sign-and-trade agreement that would send star guard Kyle Lowry to South Beach, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Miami has reportedly taken steps to try and position itself as a front-runner for the longtime Raptors ball-handler, who will also apparently receive strong interest from the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks.

The Heat announced Sunday that they exercised Goran Dragic's $19.4-million team option for the 2021-22 season. The Slovenian guard is likely to be included with young forward Precious Achiuwa in a potential offer to the Raptors once free agency begins at 6 p.m. ET on Monday, sources told Wojnarowski.

Miami could reportedly add draft consideration alongside Achiuwa to further persuade Toronto.

If the Raptors agreed to receive Dragic as part of a sign-and-trade, they could potentially reroute the 35-year-old to another team searching for a starting point guard, including the Pelicans and Mavericks, Wojnarowski reports.

Miami likely won't have enough cap space to sign Lowry, 35, themselves, which is why they would require the Raptors' involvement. New Orleans and Dallas, however, have created enough financial flexibility to make a direct run at the six-time All-Star.

In order to complete a sign-and-trade, Lowry would have to sign a minimum three-year deal, ESPN's Bobby Marks notes. Lowry is seeking a new contract that would pay him a salary similar to the $30 million he earned with Toronto in 2020-21, Wojnarowski adds.

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