With the NBA trade deadline approaching on March 25, many notable players will have new homes by the end of this month. One household name that’s been generating a lot of trade buzz is Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry. There are a couple of teams in particular to watch for Lowry, with those being the Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers.
According to a report by Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Clippers have expressed interest in Lowry.
If the Clippers were able to acquire Lowry, it would be an upgrade from an offensive standpoint from their current starting point guard Patrick Beverley. This season, Lowry has averaged 18.0 points and 7.0 assists per game. Meanwhile, Beverly, who’s known as a two-way player, has averaged 8.5 points and 2.1 assists per game.
If Lowry went to the Clippers, he would be reunited with star forward Kawhi Leonard, who were teammates on the Raptors team that won the 2019 NBA Finals.
A trade with the Raptors would mean that the Clippers are serious about their championship aspirations this season as they are fourth in the Western Conference with a record of 24-14.
The Raptors, on the other hand, are two seasons removed from their championship season with a current record of 17-19. The Raptors have an emerging guard in 27-year-old Fred VanVleet, so it would be no surprise if the Raptors decided to move on from the 34-year-old Lowry.
Besides the Clippers, Lowry has also drawn interest from the 76ers. The Sixers would also make sense for Lowry because he’s from Philadelphia and a Villanova product. The Sixers have the best record in the Eastern Conference and are looking to make their roster stronger before the trade deadline, so a Lowry homecoming is possible.
However, the Sixers already have Ben Simmons as their primary ball-handler, so it’s unclear what they would do with both him and Lowry on their roster. At least with the Clippers, it’s a little more clear with what role Lowry would serve with them.
If the Clippers want to get over their disappointing bubble performance from last season, then a Kyle Lowry-Kawhi Leonard reunion might be what gets them over the hump.
