Kyle Lowry may be the best player available ahead of theNBA trade deadline.- Lowry is approaching free agency and wants to compete for a championship.
- The 76ers, Heat, and Clippers are all reportedly after Lowry.
As the NBA trade deadline approaches on Thursday, one player sticks out as capable of swinging the playoff race: Kyle Lowry.
The 34-year-old guard will become a free agent this offseason, and his time with the
The Raptors are in a free-fall, having lost nine games in a row. They sit at 17-26, 11th place in the East. They're just 2.5 games back of the 10th seed, which will make the play-in tournament for the postseason. Still, the Raptors - who are playing in Tampa this season because of travel restrictions between the U.S. and Canada - haven't been a consistently good team this season.
Lowry, however, remains a borderline elite player, averaging 17.6 points on 44% shooting, 39% from three, with 6 rebounds and 8 assists per game.
According to numerous reports, the Raptors and Lowry are engaged in a delicate, semi-awkward dance. Lowry, arguably the best player in Raptors history, has not asked for a trade but would like to compete for a championship. Meanwhile, the Raptors must weigh losing an All-Star guard for nothing in free agency or trading him now to start a retool around a younger nucleus.
As ESPN's Zach Lowe wrote, Lowry might be the one player available at this deadline who could swing a team's championship odds. The reported suitors include the No. 1 team in the East, the reigning Eastern Conference champions, and a star-studded contender in Los Angeles.
According to Lowe, Lowry would likely only accept a deal to a few teams (given the mutual respect between Lowry and the Raptors, they likely wouldn't deal him to just any team), and the teams that could offer the Raptors the assets to make it worthwhile are limited.
Two Eastern Conference playoff teams are in a race to acquire Lowry
According to multiple reports, both the
He would be a fit with both. Lowry is from Philadelphia and would give the Sixers a much-needed point guard who can set up the offense, spread the floor, create his own shot, and play high-level defense.
Meanwhile, the Heat could use a playmaker who could take pressure off Jimmy Butler while also playing off the ball. Lowry would help hold up Miami's seventh-ranked defense while giving their lagging offense some punch. Lowry is also reportedly good friends with Butler.
Making a deal isn't necessarily easy for either team. Both Miami and Philadelphia would need to send back big contracts to match Lowry's $30 million salary.Miami has the players to do so: Goran Dragic makes $18 million, Andre Iguodala makes $15 million, and Kelly Olynyk makes $12 million.
But Miami might lack the necessary assets to sweeten the deal. They are limited in the draft picks they can trade. They likely aren't willing to trade 21-year-old rising star Tyler Herro for the 34-year-old Lowry. Would sharpshooting wing Duncan Robinson be enough? Would they need to trade rookie big man Precious Achiuwa? Would either be enough to convince the Raptors to sell a fan-favorite who is still a major contributor?
The 76ers could get a deal done by trading shooting guard Danny Green, several other low-salary players, and young wings like Tyrese Maxey and Mattise Thybulle. But such deals would rob the Sixers of their already-limited depth. Would further bolstering their star-studded starting lineup be worth sacrificing depth?
The Clippers are reportedly involved but may be long-shots
The LA Clippers desperately need a true point guard who can organize their offense and take playmaking pressure off Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Adding Lowry might make them the instant favorites in the Western Conference.
However, according to multiple reports, the Clippers might be out of the running. LA has few high-profile young assets, and few of their own first-round picks thanks to the monster package they sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder to acquire George.
But don't rule out the Clippers getting creative. With the Los Angeles Lakers banged up, the Utah Jazz cooling off, and the Denver Nuggets playing up and down, the Clippers might decide to truly go all-in and take a shot at the No. 1 seed. They could perhaps loop in a third team to provide the necessary assets to the Raptors.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said on "The Dan Patrick Show" that he believes the Raptors could be the team to "dictate" this deadline. If they decide to sell, likely to another contender, it could trigger more deals among other contenders to keep up.