Kyle Lowry – Toronto Raptors

Since joining the Toronto Raptors in 2012, Kyle Lowry has been one of the faces of the franchise and one of the main contributors to their success over the years. Every single season since the 2014-15 season, Lowry has been named an All-Star and he was instrumental in the Raptors’ journey to them capturing their first championship in franchise history in 2019. 

He has done everything right in his career and while he is 34 years old now, he is still playing at a high level and barring no major injuries or setbacks, he could be set up for success for four or five more years. Kyle Lowry is a proven leader and while the Raptors have loved what he has done for them over the years, they do need to take into account that he is an aging veteran whose value is as high as it will ever be.

Now more than ever would be the time to trade Kyle Lowry from Toronto’s perspective, especially after signing Fred VanVleet to a four-year, $85 million contract extension this offseason. With VanVleet playing at the highest level of his career, Norman Powell having a breakout season, and after drafting Malachi Flynn late in the first-round, the Raptors look to be preparing for their future without Lowry.

This past offseason, Orlando let D.J. Augustin sign with the Bucks after being with the Magic for four seasons and they drafted Cole Anthony 15th overall to be their point guard of the future. They also still have Markelle Fultz, the former No. 1 overall pick in 2017, on their roster, but with him being out for the year, they are very thin in their backcourt. With plenty of trade assets and the need for a leader, the Magic are very much in play for a potential trade with Toronto.

The Magic also have been known to be an excellent defensive team under head coach Steve Clifford, as they ranked fifth in total team defense last season. Lowry is a proven defender and would fit in perfectly with the style of play down in Orlando.

If this team was to keep their current roster and not add another high-level talent, they are in danger of missing the playoffs this year and would not be going anywhere as an organization. They are stuck in limbo roster wise and financially until they acquire another high-level talent, which is why acquiring Lowry from the Raptors would change this franchise for the better, even though he is not a long-term solution for them.