NBA trade grades: Miami Heat trade first round pick for Kyle Lowry upgrade

After putting Kyle Lowry in possible deals for what has seemed like a full year, the Miami Heat have traded for one of the best veterans on the trade market. According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Miami Heat have traded Kyle Lowry and a 2027 protected first-round pick to the Hornets for Terry Rozier. The Hornets have been viewed as a squad that will likely ship out a lot of their veterans by this season's trade deadline and the franchise has done just that with this move.

The Heat have been fighting to keep themselves out of the Play-In tournament and into a top-six seed after making it to the NBA finals last season. They have been trying to get an upgrade at point guard and were rumored to end up with Damian Lillard before negotiations fell apart.

While he is not a superstar by any means, Terry Rozier is having one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 23 points per game on 45 percent shooting. The veteran is shooting 35 percent from 3 and has been able to dish out the ball this season, averaging over 6 assists per game.

NBA trade grades: Heat-Hornets strike deal for Terry Rozier

The protections on the pick will most likely factor into how good of a trade this is for Miami but the franchise was able to fill a hole with this acquisition. It's lottery-protected for 2027 but becomes unprotected for 2028 if it doesn't convey in 2027. Yes, Rozier is not an All-NBA superstar like Damian Lillard that the franchise pursued for months but he can provide what the squad was missing from last season's playoff run. Rozier will be able to give the squad offensive creation from the point guard.

This is something that the franchise has lacked for awhile. Yes, Gabe Vincent was amazing on the offensive end but he wasn't able to create for others. This former Hornets veteran should be able to create for others unlike any other ball-handler that the Heat have had in a awhile.

Heat trade grade: B+

If the Hornets can turn Kyle Lowry into a couple of second-round picks, then this trade grade might improve but the squad was able to get a first-round pick from a team that has invested a lot into the present. While it's unknown what might happen over the next few seasons but, any franchise is doing something right when you can get a pick far off into the future.

This is especially important when the franchise is invested in the present at the cost of the future. This will likely be a pick that Charlotte uses down the line to improve talent around LaMelo Ball. With that in mind, the trade is a win-win for both sides.

Hornets trade grade: B