Kyle Lowry's Illness Holds Key to NBA Trade Dominoes as Deadline Approaches

This year's NBA trade deadline just got a bit interesting as the Houston Rockets have just received some bad news.  In a report by CBSsports.com's Ben Golliver, star point guard Kyle Lowry, who had been feeling under the weather for a few days, has been diagnosed with a bacterial infection and will miss two to four weeks. 

This spells bad news for the Rockets, who are currently the No. 8 team in the extremely competitive Western Conference.

The diagnosis throws a monkey wrench into the plans of the Los Angeles Lakers, who are high on the versatility of the former Villanova Wildcat.  They had hoped to acquire him in a deal involving Pau Gasol, but the Rockets weren't willing to deal Lowry.

That being said, the fact that Lowry is, essentially, off the table will make these next few days quite interesting to watch as we approach Thursday's deadline.  The Los Angeles Lakers desperately need a point guard, so one would think they're out of the mix.  However, don't be so quick to write them off.

What we're really about to see is just how badly the Rockets want Pau Gasol.  They may or may not give up backup point guard Goran Dragic to net a better point guard on top of Gasol, but consider this: Is the pressure to find a third team willing to do business high enough?

Simply put, the team has no choice but to get a third or even a fourth team involved in those trade talks at this point.  As good as Luis Scola is, he's no Gasol and if GM Daryl Morey really wants him, he needs to find a way to satisfy the Lakers' needs as well as Houston's new need for a point guard.  Even if Lowry is back in two weeks, that's a long time to be without a key player at this point in the season.

If that isn't to be, perhaps Morey can engage Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak about rookie point guard Darius Morris.  The former Michigan Wolverine averaged 15 points and 6.7 assists his sophomore year and is currently playing in the D-League, but he has good size at 6'4" and could easily have a future in the NBA.

That said, it's certainly going to be an interesting few days in the Western Conference.  With just one move, the Rockets could sink their playoff hopes and raise those of another team, or do the exact opposite and make a move that helps them go on a run.

And all because Lowry got sick.