Kyle Lowry has spent the majority of his career with the Toronto Raptors. A fan favorite, Lowry is the staple of the Raptors franchise and is recognized as one of the best Raptors of all time. Lowry has had a great career with the Raptors, but if the rumors are true, that same career could soon come to a halt.
Lowry will be turning 35 years old, and with the Raptors wanting to become younger many believe in the possibility of the Raptors trading Lowry. This would not the first time that rumours surrounding a Lowry trade have surfaced. Before the 2019 trade deadline, the Raptors discussed a Lowry trade with the Memphis Grizzlies.
“There’s a time capsule for everybody and everything, and it’s probably just time to move on.” said one Western Conference executive.
This being said, if the Raptors were to trade Lowry where would he go? The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the few teams that have been mentioned as a possible landing spot. Many believe that Lowry’s Philadelphia upbringing could make for an easy transition, and the 76ers would not need to trade any of their star players to acquire Lowry. The 76ers are not hard-capped, making this possible trade less challenging than other trades.
The Raptors could benefit from trading Lowry, but I do not anticipate this trade actually coming to fruition. As these rumors continue to circulate, I become more and more skeptical.
Lowry’s contract situation is preventing the possibility of a trade. As I mentioned the 76ers are not hard-capped, but they are one of the few teams in that situation. 17 out of the 29 possible trade destinations are dealing with hard caps due to their offseason acquisitions. These circumstances limit the possibility of a trade. Just because the likelihood of a Lowry trade is minimal does not prevent the Raptors from having trade conversations with other teams as they have shown to trade vital players if it benefits the team, such as trading DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have discussed a potential Andre Drummond trade with the Raptors with many prominent NBA insiders have confirmed. Both have large contracts that expire after this season, so the long-term effects are minimal if the trade does not work out for either side.
Kyle Lowry was the core of the Raptors franchise and has been with the team for 9 seasons, being their longest-tenured player. His large contract would make him hard to trade, and the conversations between the Raptors and the Cavaliers limit that same possibility. With all things considered, I do not believe the Raptors will trade Lowry, but his days in Toronto might be numbered.
Photo: Eric Koreen
