Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat in pursuit of Toronto Raptors' Kyle Lowry as trade deadline approaches
The Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat are both hot on the trail of the Toronto Raptors’ former All-Star guard Kyle Lowry to bolster their title credentials.
Toronto appear to be headed for a major roster shake-up and could soon be parting with two key members of the championship-winning team from 2019.
Per multiple reports, the Raptors are discussing potential deals for guard Kyle Lowry and forward Norman Powell. The structure of the deal, which was first reported by ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski and confirmed by several others, is unknown in terms of which players could shift locales.
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In addition, Wojnarowski also reported several other teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences have been in contact with Toronto’s front office about acquiring the players.
This season, Lowry is averaging 17.6 points and 7.4 assists per game, while Powell is averaging 19.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg and shooting a career-best 43.4 per cent on three-pointers.
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Toronto snapped their nine-game losing streak by beating the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night but are still in danger of falling out of the playoff chase in the Eastern Conference.
Powell, per Wojnarowski, is expected to decline the $11.6m option on his deal this offseason and become an unrestricted free agent. Teams that are interested in him want to find a way to sign him to a new deal instead of giving up assets to simply rent him for the rest of the 2020-21 season.
Lowry grew up in Philadelphia and starred at Villanova before beginning his NBA career. A trade to the 76ers would mark a return home, but Lowry – per Wojnarowski – has an open mind about a number of destinations.
Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Lowry wants an indication from the team that does land him that he’d get a two-year extension at a minimum of $25m a year. He is in the final year of his contract and is making $30m this season.
The Raptors would like to see Tyrese Maxey or Matisse Thybulle available in a package to acquire Lowry, but Pompey reports the Sixers are unlikely to include Thybulle in a deal because they value his ability on the defensive end.
As for the Heat, Miami have interest in Lowry as well as Houston’s Victor Oladipo and Brooklyn’s Spencer Dinwiddie, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. If the Heat were to acquire one of those targets, it would help their plans for the summer as all three are impending free agents this offseason (Dinwiddie has a player option for 2021-22).
Miami would have Bird Rights to any of them and could offer a max deal and retain every player on the roster who isn’t traded, including guard Goran Dragic (who has a $19m team option for 2021-22). If the Heat didn’t trade for Lowry, Oladipo and/or Dinwiddie and instead signed them in free agency this offseason, they wouldn’t have the cap space to keep Dragic, too.
Heat president Pat Riley, per Jackson, is leading the push to get Lowry and Riley was the one behind Miami’s attempts to get James Harden earlier this season. Miami is not likely to include Tyler Herro in a Lowry deal, Jackson reports, but that thinking could change if Powell is also a part of the trade too.
Both Powell and Lowry were key figures in Toronto’s run to the NBA title in the 2018-19 season. Powell averaged 6.5 ppg and 2.2 rpg as a reserve and defensive stopper for the Raptors, while Lowry averaged 17.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg and 8.5 apg, shooting 50.3 per cent overall and 44.4 per cent on three-pointers.
Lowry, a six-time All-Star, is one of the most decorated players in Raptors history. He is the team’s all-time leader in regular-season assists, steals, three-pointers made and three-pointers attempted. He also ranks second in regular-season games played and points to DeMar DeRozan.
Playoffs-wise, Lowry is Toronto’s all-time leader in practically every major statistical category except for blocks, free throws made, offensive rebounds and three-point percentage.
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