4:09pm: Sources close to Lowry also tell Wojnarowski that the Raptors are unlikely to deal the point guard, as the Yahoo! scribe notes in his full story. Wojnarowski pegs the kind of deal Lowry could receive in free agency this summer at four years, $45MM.
3:21pm: A rival executive says the Raptors have told him they won’t deal Lowry away, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
TUESDAY, 2:29pm: The Raptors have shown “significant reluctance” to part with Lowry, preferring instead to keep him for a postseason run, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. That’s in contrast to what Chad Ford of ESPN.com is hearing, as he wrote today that Toronto continues to be aggressive in pursuit of a Lowry deal.
MONDAY, 5:42pm: The Knicks are once again interested in Kyle Lowry after opting not to trade for the Raptors point guard two months ago, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). The deal that had reportedly been vetoed by Knicks owner James Dolan initially involved Raymond Felton, Metta World Peace, and a 2018 first round pick in exchange for Lowry.
With Toronto leading the Atlantic Division, Isola (via Twitter) doesn’t think it’d make sense for them to trade their best player right now. However, as we noted yesterday from TNT’s David Aldridge, the Raptors aren’t currently willing to pay top dollar this summer to retain Lowry for the long-term once he hits free agency. It certainly doesn’t guarantee that they would look to trade him before the February 20 deadline, and Aldridge acknowledged a scenario in which Toronto keeps Lowry for the rest of the season and opts to part ways during the summer. By the same token, Aldridge adds that if Toronto would be overwhelmed with an offer, they’d most assuredly listen.
When talks had been heating up in December, other names reportedly tied to discussions included Iman Shumpert and Tim Hardaway Jr., who were said to have been sought out by the Raptors if the Knicks were ultimately unwilling to give up a first round pick. In another report, it was said that Toronto eventually requested Hardaway Jr. and a 2018 first round pick along with Felton in exchange for Lowry. Though talks essentially fell through, it’s definitely worth wondering if the Knicks’ renewed interest is coupled with a willingness to part with a previously untouchable asset.