Kyle Lowry Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Lowry, Bobcats, Cavs, Woodson

December 19th, 2013 at 6:04pm CST by Charlie Adams

The Bulls are the only team from the East that will see any action on the hardwood tonight, but that doesn’t mean other clubs from around the conference aren’t making some noise off of the court. Let’s take a look at a few notes from around the Eastern Conference..

The Raptors aren’t urgently trying to move Kyle Lowry, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld reports (via Twitter). This report comes as a bit of a surprise since we heard yesterday that the club was working hard to move the veteran guard. It seems likely that Lowry will be moved before the trade deadline, but how soon remains unclear.
Nate Duncan of HoopsWorld examines the rosters of the Bobcats and Cavaliers and reveals who he thinks could be franchise players for each club.
The Knicks have won five out of their last ten games, but Marc Stein of ESPNNewYork.com reports that Mike Woodson is still on the hot seat and being evaluated on a “game-by-game basis” by upper management. Stein notes that if the Knicks had lost to the Bucks last night, it might have marked the end of Woodson’s tenure in New York.
Chauncey Billups has no desire to coach after his playing days, Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald notes in his latest piece. He wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a front office gig, however.
The Bucks will not attempt to deal for Omer Asik, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. It’s not completely clear, but Woelfel might be talking about a trade in the long term since we’ve heard that Asik will remain in a Rockets uniform for the time being.
Danny Granger is returning to the Pacers’ lineup, but it’s a much different squad than the one he left, notes Candace Buckner of USA Today Sports. Buckner still sees Granger as a valuable asset to the team but suggests he will have a different role than the one he had before his injury.

Raptors Working To Move Lowry, DeRozan

December 18th, 2013 at 4:22pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors are working “hard” to move not only Kyle Lowry, but DeMar DeRozan as well, according to Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld (via Twitter). A source tells Ingram that the price tags on the two Raptors are “surprisingly high.”

While Lowry has been the subject of several recent trade rumors, DeRozan hasn’t been mentioned as frequently, though ESPN.com’s Chad Ford reported on Monday that Toronto seemed open to discussing him in deals. Lowry is on an expiring contract, so moving him wouldn’t necessarily signal an all-out rebuild. However, the same can’t be said of DeRozan, whose contract runs through 2017.

DeRozan’s four-year, $38MM extension was panned when it was signed, but it doesn’t look too bad now, considering how well the 24-year-old is playing this season. Although he and Rudy Gay were often grouped together when fans and pundits criticized an inefficient Raptors offense, DeRozan has been more effective than his former teammate, averaging 21.4 PPG with a career-high 17.4 PER.

Since he’s locked up through 2017 at a reasonable price, DeRozan could conceivably be part of the franchise’s next contending roster, so there’s no real pressure for the Raptors to move him. But it was former GM Bryan Colangelo, not Masai Ujiri, who extended the swingman, and it’s not clear whether Ujiri feels DeRozan is part of the team’s long-term plans. If dealing him could land the Raptors a couple assets and improve the team’s odds of landing a top 2014 pick, Ujiri may opt to go that route.

As for Lowry, the Knicks continue to look like the most logical fit for the veteran point guard, particularly after Pablo Prigioni was sidelined with a broken toe. However, negotiations between Toronto and New York weren’t believed to be active as of this week.

Ford’s Latest: Bucks, Raptors, Kings, MKG

December 16th, 2013 at 7:26pm CST by Luke Adams

ESPN.com’s Chad Ford latest Tank Rank feature focuses on the teams that have the best chance of landing an impact player in the 2014 draft, but those clubs could also end up being the most intriguing sellers leading up to the ’14 trade deadline. As such, Ford’s piece includes a handful of notable tidbits on some of the 10 clubs on his list. Here are the highlights:

The Bucks have been “steadfastly rejecting” trade offers for players who could help them in the short-term, such as Rudy Gay and Omer Asik. Ford interprets that as a sign that Milwaukee could be embracing the idea that “one bad season could lead to many, many good ones.”
While Raptors GM Masai Ujiri seems open to moving Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, rival GMs are even more interested in trying to pry away Jonas Valanciunas and Amir Johnson. According to Ford, Valanciunas is “virtually untouchable,” and it would take a high draft pick to land Johnson.
The Kings are in the market for a pass-first point guard, sources tell Ford. Sacramento just traded Greivis Vasquez to the Raptors in last week’s Rudy Gay deal, so presumably the team would like to replace Vasquez’s production at the point.
The Cavaliers continue to be active in discussions on trades that would improve the current roster, while the Bobcats also appear to favor deals that improve the team’s 2013/14 outlook. Ford hears that Michael Kidd-Gilchrist could be made available when he gets healthy.
Rival GMs are split on what Danny Ainge intends to do, and Ford suggests we may not know the Celtics‘ plans until February.

Kyle Lowry Rumors: Friday

December 13th, 2013 at 6:53pm CST by Luke Adams

An overnight report suggested that Knicks owner James Dolan had blocked a potential acquisition of Kyle Lowry, but Marc Berman of the New York Post provides another possible explanation for talks between the Knicks and Raptors breaking down. We have more details on that below, along with the rest of the day’s Lowry-related updates:

The Nets have “zero intention of surrendering Bogdanovic or a first-rounder for Lowry, according to Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck, who can’t envision Brooklyn landing the point guard, given Toronto’s insistence on a first-round pick and a young asset. The Nets are enamored with Bogdanovic and don’t have many first-rounders to trade (All Twitter links).

Earlier updates:

Sam Amick of USA Today hears from two people with knowledge of the Nets‘ dealings that the team won’t acquire Lowry if the Raptors insist on getting a 2020 first-rounder from Brooklyn. As for the Warriors, Amick says that as of late Friday, they view the asking price for Lowry as too high and appear to be moving on.
Raptors GM Masai Ujiri was in Turkey yesterday and saw Bogdanovic in action, according to Halil Can Pelister SuperBasket.org (Twitter link). Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun notes (via Twitter) that the trip had been prearranged, so it’s not necessarily a signal that the Raps are serious about a deal with the Nets.
Wojnarowski’s latest update on the Lowry talks is consistent with Frank Isola’s report, indicating that Dolan bailed on a deal that would have sent Felton, World Peace, and a 2018 first-rounder to Toronto. The Knicks‘ front office would like to re-enter negotiations, and is working to convince Dolan to ignore public criticism, but it’s unclear if the Knicks would put that same offer on the table or whether they’d need to upgrade it.
The Nets and Raptors have exchanged ideas on packages that include Mirza Teletovic, Tyshawn Taylor, and Bojan Bogdanovic, according to Wojnarowski. Jason Terry has also been discussed for salary-matching purposes, but the Nets so far seem unwilling to include Mason Plumlee or a future first-round pick.
The Warriors have also remained involved in Lowry talks, says Wojnarowski.
Lowry told reporters, including Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun, that he anticipates being moved at some point, but has never asked the Raptors for a trade.
According to Berman, after the Knicks thought they had a deal in place, Toronto’s asking price went up. Rather than accepting Raymond Felton, Metta World Peace, and a 2018 first-round pick, Toronto wants to include Tim Hardaway Jr. in place of World Peace, says Berman.
Within Berman’s piece, he notes that Felton isn’t giving too much thought to the latest reports. “I laughed at that trade stuff,’’ Felton said. “I don’t talk about. I’ve been in the league for nine years. That stuff is going to happen when you have a good season. I have nothing to do with it. I don’t deal with it. That’s why we have general managers.”
As the Knicks‘ front office works with Dolan to regroup on the Lowry front, the Nets are gaining traction as a possible destination for the Raptors‘ point guard, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
Wojnarowski adds in a second tweet that Toronto continues to talk to several teams about Lowry, so nothing is imminent.

Dolan Blocks Knicks’ Trade For Kyle Lowry

December 13th, 2013 at 12:55am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks reached a decision on Wednesday to acquire Kyle Lowry from the Raptors, reports Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. However, Knicks owner James Dolan had second thoughts about the trade on Thursday and has vetoed it for now, Isola says. In addition to second-guessing the move, Dolan was “enraged” that details of the proposed swap had been leaked to the media, according to the Daily News report.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported on Thursday that the Knicks and Raptors had discussed a package of Raymond Felton, Metta World Peace, and a 2018 first-round pick for Lowry. Assuming that was the deal the Knicks were prepared to make, the club couldn’t have finalized it until Sunday, when World Peace becomes trade-eligible. That means Dolan could reconsider the move by then, and eventually approve it if the Raptors are on board, but for now he has “cold feet about trading a future asset,” according to Isola.

“There are two problems,” said Isola’s source. “Dolan didn’t like that someone from his group leaked it to the media, and the other problem is the Knicks seem to have too many (people) involved with making decisions.”

The source added that while the two sides had a deal ready to go, Dolan “didn’t want to get fleeced again by Masai [Ujiri],” which echoes what we heard from Wojnarowski. The Yahoo! scribe wrote that Dolan is sensitive to the public perception that Ujiri has gotten the best of the Knicks in trades that sent Carmelo Anthony and Andrea Bargnani to New York — the current Raptors GM was the top decision-maker for the Nuggets when Denver traded Carmelo to the Knicks in 2011.

The Raptors are said to be seeking either Iman Shumpert or Tim Hardaway Jr. if New York is unwilling to include a future first-round pick in its offer. Assuming Dolan and the Knicks don’t decide to move forward with a trade for Lowry, it could open the door for the crosstown Nets to land him. However, Wojnarowski reported on Thursday that Brooklyn has resisted offering a first-rounder or Mason Plumlee for the Raptors’ point guard so far.

Latest On Kyle Lowry

December 12th, 2013 at 8:36pm CST by Chuck Myron

8:36pm: According to Wojnarowski, Knicks owner James Dolan is sensitive to the public perception that GM Masai Ujiri “bamboozled” him in the Carmelo Anthony trade, and the chance of getting criticized for giving up too much in a deal for Lowry has become a hurdle in these talks. Toronto is said to be discussing deals for Lowry with an ever-growing list of teams.

Wojnarwoski adds that New York doesn’t want to include either Shumpert or Hardaway Jr. in discussions (they reportedly refused a proposal involving the former along with Felton), and without Shumpert or a draft pick going to Toronto, there isn’t any traction to a deal. Also, the Knicks are believed to still be hesitant about trading a future first round draft choice to the Raptors, and there seems to be doubt over how long they’ll keep that option on the table.

As for the Nets’ interest, Wojnarowski says the team isn’t willing to include either a 2020 first-round pick or one of its young players – including Mason Plumlee – in a trade package.

4:03pm: Toronto is insisting on a first-rounder from the Knicks in part because taking on Felton would leave the Raptors with more long-term money, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Felton’s deal runs through 2015/16, which is a player option year, while Lowry is on an expiring contract. The Knicks would like to save Iman Shumpert and Tim Hardaway Jr. for another deal, Stein adds (Twitter links). The Raptors are seeking two out of three assets from the Knicks: Shumpert, Hardaway, or a first-rounder, Stein tweets.

3:46pm: The Knicks are refusing to give up a first-round pick, and that’s gumming up the talks between the two teams, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.

3:24pm: The Nets represent the strongest competition to the Knicks for Kyle Lowry among an “ever-growing list of teams” going after the Raptors point guard, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. New York’s latest offer includes Metta World Peace and a 2018 first-round draft pick to go with Raymond Felton, according to Wojnarowski, who indicates that the Knicks are wavering on their willingness to include the pick.

The Raptors are reportedly asking for a quality young player or a first-round pick, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com, who says the price could be too high for Brooklyn’s tastes (Twitter link). Still, Brooklyn’s interest is legitimate, Mannix writes, and Wojnarowski hears the Raptors are investigating Bojan Bogdanovic, a former second-round pick whose rights the Nets hold.

Lowry is apparently interested in heading to New York, and Wojnarowski says he’s spent most of the season hoping for a trade out of Toronto. The Warriors are another team with interest in Lowry, but the odds that the Warriors land him are “very very slim,” according to Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group, who doesn’t think Golden State has much to offer the Raptors (Twitter links). Lowry has fans in the Timberwolves front office, but the team doesn’t have enough assets or financial flexibility, and isn’t in the mix for the point guard, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (on Twitter).

The Knicks can’t trade World Peace until Sunday, since he signed a contract this past offseason. The Raptors would probably buy him out of his two-year, approximately $3.5MM deal if they traded for him, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.

Raptors, Knicks Working On Kyle Lowry Trade

December 12th, 2013 at 2:43pm CST by Chuck Myron

2:47pm: The Raptors are sticking to their asking price of a quality young player or a first-round pick in return for Lowry, notes Chris Mannix of SI.com, tweeting that negotiations could take a while. Lowry has plenty of interest in playing for the Knicks, but Felton’s injury doesn’t help the chances of the Knicks landing Toronto’s point guard, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post, who says several teams including the Raptors have inquired about Hardaway.

1:56pm: The chances that Shumpert is part the deal are slim, according to Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck, who says the Raptors aren’t high on him and the Knicks prefer to keep him for now (on Twitter).

1:39pm: Shumpert’s name has come up in discussions between the Raptors and Knicks, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. In his piece on rumors around the league, Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report wrote that Shumpert, along with Felton, would “most likely” be part of a deal for Lowry.

1:04pm: Isola can’t envision Hardaway being part of the deal, citing owner James Dolan’s affection for the rookie (Twitter link).

12:53pm: The Nets and Warriors are also interested in Lowry, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, while Stein says the Knicks may be forced to put Tim Hardaway Jr. into the deal (Twitter links).

12:47pm: The Raptors are trying to elicit more offers for Lowry, and that’s why they’re leaking the news of their talks with the Knicks, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.

12:38pm: Kyle Lowry has been mentioned prominently among Raptors who could be on the move as GM Masai Ujiri aggressively reshapes the team, and he’s at the center of trade talks between Toronto and the Knicks, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The trade would likely feature Raymond Felton and at least one other Knick heading north of the border unless a third team jumps in, Stein also notes (on Twitter).

The Knicks had interest in trading with the Nuggets for Andre Miller, but they’ve shifted their focus to Lowry, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). The Raptors are looking for a first-round pick in the deal, Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck notes (via Twitter), but the earliest first-rounder the Knicks can deal away is their 2018 pick.

Lowry is among nine Raptors with an expiring contract, as I examined earlier today, and his $6.21MM salary might make him an attractive target for teams looking for a starting point guard. The Knicks will miss Felton for the next two to three weeks as he recovers from a strained hamstring, as Newsday’s Al Iannazzone tweets. While that’s certainly not a long-term absence, New York may feel as though a quick fix is necessary to avoid falling further behind in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks are 6-15, but that’s just two and a half games out of a playoff spot, given the struggles of so many Eastern teams this year.

The teams hooked up on the Andrea Bargnani trade over the summer, though that happened while former Knicks GM Glen Grunwald was still in charge in New York. New Knicks GM Steve Mills has yet to make a major move since taking over shortly before the season.

A one-for-one swap of Lowry and Felton, who’s making about $3.6MM, wouldn’t work under salary-matching rules. The Knicks would have to include about $1.5MM more in outgoing salary. They could accomplish that by throwing Iman Shumpert into the deal, and while Shumpert has been at the centerpiece of most of the trade chatter involving the Knicks this year, it’s not clear whether he’s a part of these talks.

Odds & Ends: Casey, Lowry, Mavs, Oriakhi

December 10th, 2013 at 11:05pm CST by Alex Lee

Here are a few late night tidbits from Tuesday:

With both his owner and his general manager strategically intent on making the team worse in the short term, Raptors head coach Dwane Casey‘s career has become a tightrope walk, writes Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun. Casey is in the last year of his deal and is rumored to be on thin ice in Toronto.
One way the Raptors will get worse is to move point guard Kyle Lowry, who is reportedly on the trade block. Per Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, Lowry was asked about the rumors after tonight’s loss to San Antonio: “That’s part of the business. I’ve been in trade rumors before. I’m still going to go about my business and I’m going to still play my butt off and try to win games for this team.” (Twitter links)
While they’re likely interested, the Mavericks probably don’t have what it takes to land Omer Asik from Houston given their current asking price, Mavs play-by-play man Mark Followill said on Tuesday in a chat. Followill also suggested that Trevor Ariza would be an intriguing trade target for Dallas if they’re looking to upgrade their bench.
Former UConn and Missouri center Alex Oriakhi has been waived by Hapoel Holon of the Israeli league after four games with the club, according to Sportando. Oriakhi, who was drafted 57th by the Suns this summer, was also waived by France’s CSP Limoges last month after he signed there in August.

Jason Thompson, Kyle Lowry On Trade Block

December 9th, 2013 at 8:08am CST by Chuck Myron

The Kings and Raptors agreed to a major seven-player trade last night, but there could be more moves coming for both teams. The Kings are trying to deal away power forward Jason Thompson, while the Raptors wouldn’t mind parting with point guard Kyle Lowry, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

Sacramento has already pulled off a pair of in-season swaps, acquiring Derrick Williams and Rudy Gay. Those two will likely bump Thompson from the starting lineup. Finding a new home for Thompson won’t be easy, Stein points out, since he’s in the second season of a five-year contract for nearly $30.2MM with a 5% trade kicker.

No Raptor appears to be off-limits for a trade, aside from Jonas Valanciunas, according to a recent report. The team’s primary goal for the season now seems to be improving its draft lottery chances, making Lowry a prime trade candidate, as Stein suggests. Lowry is making $6.21MM in the final season of his deal. Greivis Vasquez, whom Toronto will receive in the swap with the Kings, could replace Lowry in the starting lineup.

Though the Kings and Raptors just hooked up on a trade, and respective GMs Pete D’Alessandro and Masai Ujiri worked together in the Nuggets front office, it doesn’t appear there are discussions between the teams involving Thompson or Lowry.

Atlantic Rumors: Lowry, Wallace, Stoudemire

November 6th, 2013 at 8:54am CST by Luke Adams

Kyle Lowry is in the last year of his contract with the Raptors, meaning he’ll likely be the subject of a few trade rumors this season. And whether or not he’s dealt, he’s poised to hit unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career next summer. As he tells Lang Greene of HoopsWorld though, he’s not letting his contract status become a distraction.

“It’s one of those things where it’s like when you’re in college and they say that you could be a draft pick,” Lowry said. “If you start thinking about it too much, you’ll play bad. So right now, I’m in a mode where I can’t think about the future. I have to think about the present and what’s happening right now.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

The Celtics have tried to discuss Gerald Wallace in trades, but given the three years and $30MM+ remaining on his deal, the team’s options are limited, says Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. In the meantime, Wallace continues to try to adjust to a new situation and establish a role in Boston.
Frank Isola of the New York Daily News thinks the Knicks will try to convince Amar’e Stoudemire to end his career before his inflated contract expires in 2015, but he can’t see Stoudemire agreeing to call it quits (Twitter link).
With Tyson Chandler‘s status uncertain and Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin both considered ongoing injury risks, the Knicks‘ need to re-sign Jeremy Tyler has “grown mightily,” writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Erie BayHawks acquired Tyler earlier this week, allowing the big man to rehab with the Knicks’ D-League affiliate.
Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com is certain that Brad Stevens made the right call to take the Celtics job, since at worst he’ll have the $22MM from his six-year contract and the chance to either take another NBA job or a head coaching position at a college with a higher profile than Butler.
The Sixers will hire Rod Baker to coach their D-League affiliate, the Delaware 87ers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Baker, who had been working as an assistant for the Bakersfield Jam, has extensive coaching experience in the PBL, ABA, and NCAA.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.