When the Heat traded for Kyle Lowry in 2021, they likely viewed the six-time All-Star as a third option next to Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
Quite a lot has changed in the two years since.
While Lowry is still an important piece of the Heat's rotation, his role has changed from being the team's starting point guard to coming off the bench. It marks the first time he has been a reserve since 2012-13, his first season with the Raptors.
What prompted Lowry's move to the second unit?
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Lowry started in 44 of the 55 games he appeared in with the Heat during the regular season. It wasn't the last couple of months of the season that he was removed from the starting lineup.
The last game Lowry started in was Miami's loss to New York on Feb. 2, 2023. Not only did he have a quiet game (three points and two assists on 1-for-7 shooting), but he missed his next 15 games with left knee soreness, paving the way for Gabe Vincent to start in his place.
When Lowry returned from the injury on March 11, he came off the bench. Head coach Erik Spoelstra believed the move would "protect him" and keep him healthy for the playoffs.
“It’s different,” Lowry said on March 17. “But right now I’m just trying to help my team win and they just want to kind of ease me back in. Whatever decisions coach makes long term, that’s going to be that. But right now it’s about staying healthy and getting myself in rhythm and in shape.”
Lowry was having one of the worst seasons of his career prior to being sidelined with the injury. He averaged more points, assists and rebounds in the games he started compared to the ones he came off the bench, but he was a much more efficient scorer as a reserve. The Heat also fared better as a team in Lowry's minutes off the bench.
| Stat | Starter | Reserve |
| Games | 44 | 11 |
| Minutes per game | 33.3 | 23.1 |
| Points per game | 12.0 | 7.9 |
| Assists per game | 5.3 | 4.5 |
| Rebounds per game | 4.3 | 3.2 |
| Field goal percentage | 39.6 | 46.6 |
| 3-point percentage | 33.3 | 42.5 |
| Free throw percentage | 85.5 | 88.9 |
| Plus-minus | -14 | 69 |
According to The Athletic's William Guillory, Spoelstra's initial plan was to move Lowry back into the starting lineup closer to the playoffs, but he decided to stick with it because Lowry's improved play helped turn one of the team's biggest weaknesses into a strength.
In the first two rounds of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, the Heat's bench had a net rating (the difference between a team's offensive and defensive rating) of 5.1, the best in the NBA. Before Lowry played his first game as a reserve, Miami's bench ranked 26th in the league in net rating.
“One of the things we’ve found is you’re bringing a Hall-of-Fame mind off the bench,” Spoelstra said. “Our second unit was struggling for much of the year. Shift him (to the bench) and a lot of the things we were working on endlessly just kind of get taken care of. … He is an ultimate winner. What drives him more than anything is winning.”
Kyle Lowry contract details
Lowry has one season remaining on the three-year, $85 million contract he signed as part of the sign-and-trade agreement between the Raptors and Heat. He will be an unrestricted free agent following the 2024-25 season.
| 2023-24 | 2024-25 | |
| Kyle Lowry contract | $29,682,540 | UFA |
