Kyle Lowry Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Rumors: Lowry, Schröder, THT, Caruso, Gasol

March 25th, 2021 at 7:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Lakers were open to dealing point guard Dennis Schröder and longtime wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for veteran Raptors guard Kyle Lowry ahead of today’s trade deadline, but were resistant to including ascendant shooting guard Talen Horton-Tucker in a deal, according to Jovan Buha and Bill Oram of The Athletic.

Buha and Oram note that Schroder, KCP, and “some draft compensation” were being discussed in exchange for the six-time Toronto All-Star. Los Angeles team president Rob Pelinka apparently balked at including Horton-Tucker, a promising 20-year-old second-year combo guard.

The Lakers continue to negotiate a possible long-term contract extension with starting point guard Schröder, currently earning $15.5MM in the last season of an expiring four-year deal, but remain far apart in those talks. The 27-year-old veteran is hoping to net at least $20MM annually, according to Buha and Oram, who note that this price tag contributed to the front office being open to moving Schröder in a deal for Lowry.

The Lakers’ willingness to trade valuable two-way swingman Caldwell-Pope appear to be about prioritizing re-signing Horton-Tucker and point guard Alex Caruso during the 2021 offseason. A league source tells Buha and Oram that both players could garner deals worth the full mid-level exception, which projects to be worth more than $9.5MM next season.

With Schröder now sticking with LA through the trade deadline, sources tell Buha and Oram that the club hopes to re-sign the point guard this summer, too.

The Lakers currently still have two open roster spots, and are going to use the buyout market to acquire new additions heading into the home stretch of the season. Los Angeles appears to be one of the top finalists in the race to acquire 27-year-old Cavaliers center Andre Drummond, a two-time All-Star, once he finalizes his expected buyout with Cleveland. In addition to a veteran center, Buha and Oram anticipate that the Lakers will seek a defensive-oriented free agent swingman for their other available roster position.

In other Lakers news, starting center Marc Gasol will be back on the court for the injury-depleted club tonight against the Sixers, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The veteran big man will only be allowed to play about 15 minutes tonight during his first game action this month, after being placed in the NBA’s coronavirus-related health and safety protocols.

Raptors Keeping Kyle Lowry

March 25th, 2021 at 2:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors did not trade Kyle Lowry before this afternoon’s trade deadline, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that Lowry is remaining with Toronto.

Lowry was one of the biggest names among this year’s trade candidates and seemed increasingly likely to be on the move as the deadline neared and the Raptors shifted into full-fledged seller mode. Toronto dealt Norman Powell to Portland and moved Terence Davis and Matt Thomas for draft picks in deals that appears designed to open up roster spots to accommodate a three-for-one type deal for Lowry.

However, it seems the Raptors ultimately didn’t feel any of the offers they received warranted parting with arguably the greatest player in franchise history. Lowry has made six All-Star teams during his time in Toronto and helped the team win its first championship in 2019.

The Sixers, Heat, and Lakers were said to be the top suitors for the veteran point guard, who turned 35 years old today. But those teams were apparently unwilling to part with the top trade assets Toronto was seeking in a deal. Those players included Matisse Thybulle (Philadelphia), Tyler Herro (Miami), and Talen Horton-Tucker (L.A.).

Lowry was always fine with the idea of finishing the season with the Raptors, sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link). He’s now on track to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason, and a new deal with Toronto is possible, since the team holds his Bird rights. The Heat, after missing out on Lowry at the deadline, may also pursue him in free agency, assuming they clear the necessary cap room.

A sign-and-trade involving the Heat or another team could also be a possibility this summer if Lowry wants to move on. The Raptors seem optimistic they’ll be able to work out such a deal if Lowry wants to land elsewhere, tweets Mark Medina of USA Today.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Rumors: Lowry, Knicks, Ball, Suns, Nuggets

March 25th, 2021 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Kyle Lowry‘s future is the focus around the NBA right now, Shams Charania said on Stadium’s live trade deadline show on Twitter.

According to Charania, the Raptors remain seriously engaged with the Heat and Lakers, having been offered packages headed by Duncan Robinson (Miami) or Dennis Schröder and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (L.A.). Toronto is pushing for the inclusion of Tyler Herro or Talen Horton-Tucker in any deal with the Heat or Lakers, says Charania.

Charania adds that the Heat are believed to be Lowry’s preferred destination.

Here’s more from around the league:

The Knicks have remained engaged with the Pelicans today about a possible Lonzo Ball trade, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv. New York is also receiving inquiries on center Mitchell Robinson, according to Begley, though it’s not clear if the team is open at all to moving Robinson.
As of earlier this afternoon, the Suns weren’t close to making any deals, and all signs pointed to them standing pat at the deadline, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7.
The Nuggets are likely done dealing after agreeing to trades for Aaron Gordon and JaVale McGee, tweets Mike Singer of The Denver Post.

Trade Rumors: Lowry, Rondo, Ball, Markkanen, Young, Green

March 25th, 2021 at 12:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

The clock is ticking on the trade deadline, with less than 90 minutes to go. Here are a few tidbits about possible last-minute deals:

ESPN is reporting that the Sixers have dropped their pursuit of Kyle Lowry after trading for George Hill, but the Heat are still trying to acquire the Raptors‘ point guard, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. A source tells Jackson the Lakers and Clippers have also contacted Toronto about Lowry.
The Clippers have asked the Hawks about point guard Rajon Rondo, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN (Twitter link from Mirjam Swanson of The Southern California News Group). L.A. was interested in signing Rondo in free agency, but he opted for a two-year, $15MM deal with Atlanta.
After acquiring All-Star center Nikola Vucevic from the Magic, the Bulls are trying to shake up their roster ever further, tweets K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports. Chicago is still talking to the Pelicans about Lonzo Ball, but New Orleans wants more than Lauri Markkanen in return. The Bulls used a lot of their draft capital in the Vucevic deal.
Offers for Thaddeus Young haven’t improved enough for the Bulls to consider moving him, tweets Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
The Warriors could be a possible destination for Sixers guard Danny Green, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).

Lakers, Heat, Sixers Remain Engaged In Kyle Lowry Talks

March 25th, 2021 at 9:48am CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors remain “seriously” engaged with the Lakers, Heat, and Sixers in trade discussions involving point guard Kyle Lowry, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Miami and Philadelphia have long been mentioned as suitors for the veteran guard, but the Lakers are a more recent addition to the Lowry sweepstakes. Charania’s report comes on the heels of ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski suggesting on Wednesday that the Lakers are a team to watch on the Lowry front.

While the NBA’s two biggest national news-breakers have the Lakers in the mix for Lowry, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst expressed some skepticism today on First Take this morning, suggesting that the Lakers rumors may be a smokescreen to get the Heat and 76ers to improve their offers, as RealGM relays. Windhorst also said that, as of Wednesday, the Raptors hadn’t been all that impressed by the offers on the table for the six-time All-Star.

“They’re basically negotiating with only two teams, with Miami and Philadelphia,” Windhorst said, per RealGM. “From what I can glean from people I’ve talked to, neither one of them are putting the premium, premium package they can offer for Kyle Lowry and that’s frustrated the Raptors a little bit.”

Of course, while the Raptors may feel as if they’re being low-balled, that’s a matter of perspective. League sources who spoke to Jordan Schultz of ESPN (Twitter link) said Toronto’s asking prices for Lowry and Norman Powell are “huge.” Since those two Raptors vets are considered two of the top options on the trade market, the market may not really get moving until there’s resolution on one or both of them, Schultz explains.

Raptors Notes: Lowry, Powell, Siakam, Nurse

March 25th, 2021 at 7:29am CST by Luke Adams

After helping the Raptors snap their nine-game losing streak on Wednesday with a blowout win over Denver, veteran point guard Kyle Lowry admitted that it was a “weird” feeling not knowing if it was his last game with the franchise, writes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. Lowry is prepared for the possibility of being traded later today, on his 35th birthday.

“Whatever will be will be, honestly,” Lowry said, per Lewenberg. “That’s the truth.

“I don’t know (what I want to happen). I wish I could give you (an answer), but at the end of the day, I’m gonna (make) a decision and work it out and if something happens, it happens — if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. Everything happens for a reason. I personally, right now, I don’t really put too much thought into it. My agent is really good at his job and (is having) a lot of decisions, he’ll look at it and help facilitate that decision.”

According to Lewenberg, the odds of Lowry being traded seemed slim earlier this month. Sources tell TSN.ca that the Raptors were still telling teams last week that they didn’t intend to move him and that Lowry and his reps expected to finish the season with the club. That has changed in recent days, as Toronto has become more willing to listen to inquiries and offers for the six-time All-Star, who could be the biggest name on the move in the next seven hours.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Norman Powell, the Raptors’ other top trade candidate, said that his preference would be to remain with Toronto, but he acknowledged that anything could happen, as Lewenberg relays. “My roots are here,” Powell said. “I’ve given everything to the franchise. Obviously I want to stay here. I’m not out looking for other teams to go play for. I’m solely focused on this season, being with the team and hopefully being able to finish out the season with them. But I understand that it’s a business.” Lewenberg and other reporters have suggested that Powell is very likely to be dealt today.
Appearing on ESPN’s Bart & Hahn Show (video link), Brian Windhorst said he believes the Raptors will essentially control the trade deadline, since Lowry and Powell are two of the top players available. Teams chasing one or both of those two may want resolution before moving onto other targets.
The Raptors’ dominant win over Denver on Wednesday showed how much upside the current group still has, but it was probably too little, too late to change the team’s approach to the deadline, writes Blake Murphy of The Athletic.
Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca provided some additional details on the confrontation between Pascal Siakam and head coach Nick Nurse that may result in a $50K fine for the Raptors forward. Grange describes Siakam’s outburst toward Nurse as one that crossed lines and included “words beyond standard cursing.” However, there’s no indication that it will lead to anything drastic involving Siakam at the trade deadline, Grange notes.
The Raptors denied a report that Siakam had been fined $50K, saying possible discipline was still being discussed internally. But since those team penalties aren’t made public, we may never know for sure whether or not Toronto fines Siakam, according to Grange, who says the club has concerns about the way the report on that fine and another recent Shams Charania report – which blamed a COVID-19 outbreak on the coaching staff not following proper masking guidelines – have surfaced.

Fischer’s Latest: Gordon, Vucevic, Lowry, Redick, Ball, DeRozan

March 24th, 2021 at 10:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

On the eve of the trade deadline, the Nuggets have become the favorites to pry Aaron Gordon away from the Magic, league sources tell Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Denver’s offer would include guard Gary Harris, a first-round pick, and either R.J. Hampton, Zeke Nnaji or Bol Bol.

Although the Nuggets seem to have the momentum, the Celtics are still “very engaged” in the process, according to Fischer. Boston’s proposed deal has involved Marcus Smart and a first-rounder, and it’s possible that a second first-round pick and the Celtics’ $28.5MM traded player exception could be used as well, with Evan Fournier also headed to Boston, says Fischer. Previous reports indicated that the C’s were looking to keep Smart out of the deal, offering a younger player in his place.

The Timberwolves, Rockets and Trail Blazers all remain interested in acquiring Gordon too.

Fischer passes on a few more trade rumors as the deadline draws near:

The Celtics are one of the few teams to express interest in trading for center Nikola Vucevic, but the Magic are putting a much higher price on him than Gordon. Orlando is asking for multiple first-round picks and a player who fits with their young core. Fischer expects Vucevic to stay with the Magic.
The Clippers, Lakers, Sixers and Heat are all still pursuing Kyle Lowry, but the Raptors‘ high price tag may prevent a deal from getting done. Fischer believes Philadelphia would have to offer two players from the group of Danny Green, Seth Curry and Tyrese Maxey, while Miami would need to part with Goran Dragic, another large salary and either Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson or Tyler Herro. Both Los Angeles teams are limited by their lack of available draft picks.
J.J. Redick appears headed for a buyout as the Pelicans haven’t found a team willing to offer draft picks or prospects in return for the veteran guard. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report suggests a return to the Sixers is possible or maybe a reunion with former teammate Chris Paul on the Suns.
The Knicks are interested in Lonzo Ball and have the cap space to keep him in free agency, Pincus adds. The price could be Frank Ntilikina, Kevin Knox and possibly the Mavericks’ 2021 first-round pick.
Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan is also high on the Knicks‘ wish list, states A. Sherrod Blakely of Bleacher Report.

Lakers In Mix For Kyle Lowry?

March 24th, 2021 at 2:28pm CST by Luke Adams

After mentioning the usual suspects – the Heat and Sixers – in his look at potential Kyle Lowry suitors during today’s Woj & Lowe Trade Deadline Special on ESPN, Adrian Wojnarowski offered up an interesting wild-card trade destination for the Raptors guard. According to Wojnarowski, the Lakers shouldn’t be ruled out as a possible suitor for Lowry.

While the idea of Lowry teaming up with LeBron James and Anthony Davis in Los Angeles for a Lakers team looking to defend its title is a fascinating one, it will be tricky to make a deal work.

To match Lowry’s $30.5MM salary, the Lakers would almost certainly have to include two veteran rotation players from the trio of Dennis Schröder, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Montrezl Harrell. That lines up with a report from Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who says (via Twitter) that the Lakers became open to discussing those three players in trades as of Monday night.

If the Raptors are moving Lowry though, it’s probably safe to assume it won’t be for win-now veterans like Schröder, Caldwell-Pope, and Harrell. At least one of Talen Horton-Tucker and the Lakers’ 2027 first-round pick would also presumably need to be included to get Toronto’s attention.

While a deal along those lines could technically work, it’s hard to find a combination that makes sense for both teams. As such, Lowry ending up with the Lakers is probably a long shot unless perhaps they can get a third team involved.

Los Angeles’ other team also reportedly has interest in Lowry, but matching the point guard’s cap number and offering up enough assets to pique Toronto’s interest would be a major challenge for the Clippers as well.

Trade Rumors: Celtics, Raptors, Herro, McGee, Mavs

March 24th, 2021 at 12:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Reports earlier this week stated that acquiring Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier from the Magic could cost the Celtics a package that includes Marcus Smart and two first-round picks. However, a source tells Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald (Twitter link) that Boston is currently offering a first-round pick and a young player (not Smart) for Gordon, and are trying not to include a second first-rounder in a potential deal.

Murphy’s report doesn’t mention Fournier, which makes sense — if the Celtics want both Gordon and Fournier, a higher-priced player like Smart would need to be included for salary-matching purposes, since only one of those players would fit into Boston’s $28.5MM traded player exception. But if the C’s are just targeting Gordon, salary-matching wouldn’t be necessary.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

The Raptors are continuing to push for Tyler Herro‘s inclusion in any trade with the Heat involving Kyle Lowry, reports Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Jason Dumas of KRON4 News says (via Twitter) that the Sixers view acquiring Lowry as a long shot.
Several contending teams are in the mix for Cavaliers center JaVale McGee, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who says there’s a “strong sense” that a deal will be made by Thursday’s deadline.
Appearing today on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, Mavericks president Donnie Nelson suggested that a big deadline splash is unlikely for his team, as Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News tweets. “Don’t get your hopes up,” Nelson said. “We like this young crew.” Head coach Rick Carlisle has also expressed skepticism that the Mavs will make any significant moves, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.

Roster Transformation Looming For Raptors?

March 24th, 2021 at 6:48am CST by Luke Adams

With less than 36 hours to go until the 2021 trade deadline, the Raptors are “hurtling toward a roster transformation,” according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports that the team is engaged in multiple trade discussions involving Kyle Lowry and Norman Powell.

We covered some of the latest Lowry and Powell rumors late last night, noting that Lowry will reportedly seek a two-year contract worth at least $50MM from whichever team lands him, while Powell seems increasingly likely to be moved.

Wojnarowski confirms that Powell will probably be dealt, suggesting the question now is more about which of his “dozen or so” suitors will land him. Toronto could go in a number of different directions on the Powell front, depending on whether the team prioritizes young players or draft picks, Wojnarowski suggests. The odds of a Lowry trade are also gaining traction, Woj adds.

The Sixers and Heat have been frequently cited as the most likely landing spots for Lowry, but there are a handful of other teams involved as well, according to Wojnarowski, who says the Raptors are taking into consideration the veteran guard’s wishes as they consider possible scenarios. Lowry has an “open mind” about several possible destinations, sources tell ESPN.

Here’s more on the Raptors’ top two trade candidates:

The Sixers have discussed separate deals with the Raptors involving both Lowry and Powell, reports Wojnarowski.
In a deal with the Sixers for Lowry – not Powell – the Raptors would want at least one of Tyrese Maxey or Matisse Thybulle, but Philadelphia appears unwilling to part with Thybulle, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype has heard similar rumblings, writing that Maxey is among the assets available in a package for Lowry, while the Sixers are reluctant to part with Thybulle. Some executives around the league believe the inclusion of Thybulle – who has drawn interest from multiple teams – could swing the Lowry sweepstakes, Scotto adds.
One league executive thinks a package of Maxey, a first-round pick, and matching salaries (Danny Green, Tony Bradley, and Mike Scott) could get a Lowry deal done, assuming the Raptors can open up roster slots for all the incoming players, Pompey writes.
Tyler Herro is the sticking point in a potential Lowry-to-the-Heat trade, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). Toronto wants Herro, who still has two years left on his rookie contract after this season, but Miami is more comfortable parting with RFA-to-be Duncan Robinson, Grange explains.