Potential trade destinations for Lowry: Dec.12 - NY a match?

[Bendit]

I'm still all for building through higher end of draft. I just think it is going to be done in '13-14 on the road less traveled. '14-15 will likely be more of a traditional route and I think the '15-16 season is when the Raptors are looking to be real threats with an eye on '16 free agency.

Weelll, hi-yo there. Where did u go on your vacation

I agree with above but would consider that with so many taking this year off for the upcoming draft MU could go contrarian and use 14-15 as the "rebuild" year with possibly a good shot at a high pick in the '15 draft. Unless he does something wild at trade deadline and draft night this year.

[Balls of Steel]

I have a pit in my stomach where it's in Masai's best interest for Lowry to make it in for the ASG and then bam, really sell high 4 days later! Any deals w/ Minnesota must include Rubio (come hell or high water) and of the two (Lowry or Derozan), I still prefer both to go or Lowry stays while DD goes.

[Balls of Steel]

Here's an interesting take on trades with Chris Paul (a very good PG) as the case study. Masai obviously must look deep into the future. Read here.

[OldSkoolCool]

Honestly I want no part of Rubio. He can be electric at times, but he is a deeply flawed player that cannot be a major part of an extremely competitive team.

[Puffer]

Here's an interesting take on trades with Chris Paul (a very good PG) as the case study. Masai obviously must look deep into the future. Read here.

Very good piece. Good talking points. Writer reminds us of the benefit of having Matt's favourite chips in the trade market, flexibility and assets.

It is very easy to weigh any trade simply based on the actual players traded. But good GM's have to be more like chess grandmasters than used car salesmen.

[mcHAPPY]

Very good piece. Good talking points. Writer reminds us of the benefit of having Matt's favourite chips in the trade market, flexibility and assets.

It is very easy to weigh any trade simply based on the actual players traded. But good GM's have to be more like chess grandmasters than used car salesmen.

Things didn't turn out so well for New Orleans with that trade.

They received fantastic assets but their decisions with them didn't pan out.

The marquee young player in Eric Gordon showed why he slipped in the draft due to his knees and he didn't want to be there. (Please don't match - fail)

The cap space turned in to Ryan Anderson (good signing last year - tough season this year)

Aminu is a solid player. Not a star but a solid blue collar guy. (I actually hope Raptors pursue him this summer - for off the bench).

The draft pick was Austin Rivers (epic fail).


No matter what route a team takes to build, decisions matter and will determine success or failure.

[mcHAPPY]

I don't think Lowry is traded this season. I'm not a GM so this is all 100% opinion based. Look through the league. Who has assets to throw away on a player that may or may not return next season?

When looking at teams with injured PGs:

Boston has Rondo back.
Brooklyn has Williams back.
Chicago has lost Rose but the Bulls are just $500k below luxury tax and don't have the required contracts to take on Lowry without going in to tax.
Houston did fine without Beverly and now he is back.
Clippers - doing fine without Paul, limited assets to make numbers work, no picks to trade.
Miami - Chalmers is back, no pick to trade, no assets to make numbers work.
New Orleans are likely to tank like no other team has done since Golden State (injuries have given them no choice).
OKC - doing fine without Westbrook
Phoenix are going to have Bledsoe back, tough to make numbers work without 3rd team or more coming from Raptors.

Then look at playoff bubble teams:
Charlotte has Walker who will be back soon.
Detroit has Jennings - would Raps want him? I hope not.
Cleveland - Irving/Jack
Washington - Wall
Memphis - Conley
Denver - Lawson
Atlanta - Teague with Mack doing well as backup and Schroder as long term prospect

Then there are bad/tank teams with no hope outside of ping pong balls:
Philly
Boston
Milwaukee
Orlando

Then there are the teams who are at bottom of standings with PG set:
Utah - Burke
Sacramento - Thomas

Then there are teams at the top or firmly in playoffs who are set:
San Antonio
Indiana
Portland
Dallas
Golden State



So who does that leave?

Minnesota: connection with Adelman, starter who does not play in the 4th quarter.... but no picks and limited assets in trade. What does that do for Toronto?

New York: Dolan put the kibosh on that. Maybe things change as they sit 10 games under .500 at half way point of season?

LA Lakers. LA Lakers. LA Lakers. LA Lakers. But not in season.

They are going to be a prime sign and trade destination for Lowry. Why?
1) they are looking to get back to winning next year. You think Kobe wants to play out last 2 years without a chance to win?
2) Perfect trade mate in Toronto with Nash (not because of passport but because of $9.7M contract i.e. about what Lowry would likely make). Lakers with Lowry around $9M and Kobe at $23M have about $30M for free agency. Deng, big offer to Monroe.... just throwing out possibilities.
3) What player wouldn't want to play for Lakers? What PG wouldn't want to play for D'Antoni?
4) Lakers pick. They are likely to get high draft pick this season. High draft picks take up cap space and don't always contribute to winning immediately. Lakers will be in win now mode. So S&T Lowry for Nash with Lakers pick going to Raptors and some 2nd round picks going to LA (low cap hold, lots of flexibility in signing).
5) Lakers rumoured to have lots of interest a couple of years ago when Gasol to Houston was speculated. At that time supposedly Houston refused to include Lowry in deal which was hold up. All rumours and hearsay of course.


I'm still all for building through higher end of draft. I just think it is going to be done in '13-14 on the road less traveled. '14-15 will likely be more of a traditional route and I think the '15-16 season is when the Raptors are looking to be real threats with an eye on '16 free agency.

If Bledsoe is looking unlikely to return, put Phoenix on the list of possibilities. Phoenix are all in on winning now. I also didn't realize they had about $5M in cap space. Very easy to make a Lowry trade work, for example, Lowry for Goodwin works.... obviously a pick in return would be expected.

[Nilanka]

Has anyone seen/heard this???

According to Sam Amico of Fox Sports, the Pacers have interest in trading for Toronto Raptors point guard, Kyle Lowry.

The Pacers may be among the teams who will make a play for Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry at the Feb. 20 trade deadline, according to several reports. But the more the Raptors win, the more it looks as if they will hang on to Lowry. It’s an interesting situation, because Lowry is a free agent at season’€™s end.

http://fansided.com/2014/01/28/nba-r...de-kyle-lowry/

[stooley]

Has anyone seen/heard this???



http://fansided.com/2014/01/28/nba-r...de-kyle-lowry/

Fun! don't know what they can offer back though. Paul George?

[ceez]

Pacers were one of the teams originally linked, way back when. It makes sense, George Hill is good but not great, and Lowry would be an upgrade.

They don't have any first round picks for the next while though right? I can't really think of any players on the team i'd want outside of George but that's not happening. Stephenson is a FA. Copeland maybe i guess.

[Nilanka]

Pacers were one of the teams originally linked, way back when. It makes sense, George Hill is good but not great, and Lowry would be an upgrade.

They don't have any first round picks for the next while though right? I can't really think of any players on the team i'd want outside of George but that's not happening. Stephenson is a FA. Copeland maybe i guess.

The only hope is that a 3rd team is somehow involved.

[Fully]

If I were Indy, I'd want Lowry in a bad way. I think he fits in really well with the make up of that team, both in playing style and in attitude.

[Bendit]

If I were Indy, I'd want Lowry in a bad way. I think he fits in really well with the make up of that team, both in playing style and in attitude.

That makes me queazy....sending Lowry to the Pacers and him haunting the Raps in the Conference finals

[DanH]

The only hope is that a 3rd team is somehow involved.

I came up with this proposal:

George Hill, Granger, Butler, 2014 2nd, 2015 2nd, 2015 GSW 2nd for Lowry, Salmons, Hayes, Novak

Not exactly a barn burner for either team. But assuming Lowry is walking, and you can't get a 1st rounder for him on a rental, this is a decent deal. Clears cap room for the Raps, while getting them a starting PG (if overpaid) and a bunch of late picks for Ujiri to work miracles with. I'd gladly throw Fields in instead of Salmons, but that might be a bit much, and who knows when he'll be back from injury.

[mcHAPPY]

Indy are likely looking to do two things:

1) get better themselves, and
2) take Toronto down a notch.

I don't think they are looking forward to a playoff match up with Toronto.

Raptors match up very well, in my opinion.

As for trading with Indiana: meh. Nothing there intrigues me unless you're getting Granger's huge expiring and losing Fields or Hayes in the process. Their 2nd round picks are likely to be 55+ for next few years - not sure the value there but better than nothing.