The Toronto Raptors hold onto arguably the biggest trade chip in the NBA heading toward the deadline. Point guard Kyle Lowry, if dealt, would push the team that acquires him much closer to an NBA championship. He has moved to the forefront of names to watch in NBA trade rumors.
The 34-year old Lowry, who will be 35 on March 25th, the day of the NBA Trade Deadline, is in the final year of his contract with the Raptors. This isn’t the first time they have weighed the decision of trading him, as Masai Ujiri came within inches of trading him to the New York Knicks in 2013 before James Dolan intervened.
This time around, however, things are different. Lowry has cemented himself among the greatest Raptors of all time given his personal success and what he has helped the franchise achieve. This is his ninth season with Toronto and in that time he has earned six All-Star appearances, a third-team All-NBA in 2016 and an NBA Finals victory in 2019.
Lowry has done a lot for the franchise, and now they want to return the favor.
According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Raptors would be willing to send Lowry to a preferred destination if they receive something of value in return. They want to reward Lowry for what he has done for them by sending him to a contending team that could win another championship.
“A league source says the Raptors want to reward Lowry for his years of service by helping him secure an opportunity to win another NBA title. That would help his legacy.
That’s where the Sixers, Heat, and Clippers come in, sources say. Though things are far from definite at this point.”
That is a great gesture by the Raptors organization to help get Lowry to another contender. That is something players around the league notice and could paint Toronto in a more positive light when it comes to free agents.
As for Lowry, all three of those teams mentioned would be great landing spots. His skillset and personality would fit all three teams perfectly. In LA, he would presumably take over as the starting point guard, giving the Clippers a combination of Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams, two players they are shopping, in one.
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The 76ers are where Lowry would like to land according to sources. He would give Philadelphia an excellent third option behind Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. In Miami, he is the perfect complement to Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo as defensive dynamos that come up clutch offensively.
While those three teams would all be great landing spots, other contenders could emerge as well. The San Antonio Spurs are a dark horse in the Western Conference and would reunite Lowry with long-time Raptors teammate, DeMar DeRozan.
Wherever Lowry is traded, if he is traded at all, it will be to a team that will contend for a championship this summer. That kind of professionalism in the business that is the NBA is refreshing to see.
