Are Toronto Raptors Better Off Keeping or Trading Kyle Lowry?

The time is soon approaching where the Toronto Raptors will need to make a definitive decision on whether or not they plan on keeping or trading Kyle Lowry. 

The Raptors trading Kyle Lowry? How could I imply such a blasphemous thing? I should sit in a corner with a dunce cap on my head while I apologize to each and every one of you.

I haven't lost my mind. There's no need to worry about my sanity. This all comes within reason. 

Toronto is back at .500 (15-15) after defeating the Indiana Pacers with a convincing 95-82 victory on New Years Day. They're 9-3 since trading Rudy Gay to the Sacramento Kings on Dec. 8, with wins over Indiana (25-6), the Oklahoma City Thunder (25-6) and two each against the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls.

With the recent string of success the team has had, why on earth would general manager Masai Ujiri look to disrupt their progress by dealing away the starting point guard when things are just starting to look up?

A 15-15 record may not seem like a big deal, but in the rancid cesspool that is the Eastern Conference, hovering around that mark for the remainder of the year could land the Raptors a top-four seed in the playoffs. Seriously. 

Plans change on a whim. There was no way of knowing how awful teams like the Knicks (9-21) and Brooklyn Nets (10-21) were going to be. It forced management's hand and made those in charge of the team re-evaluate their blueprint for the season.

Maybe it's best to just ride this out, keep the core together and see how far this collection of players can go. That's always an option. 

Lowry does deserve a lot of credit for the way Toronto has been playing. He's taken his game to a much higher level since Gay was sent packing back to the Western Conference. Lowry's averaging 19.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 10.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.4 three-pointers over his last five games, with the team going 4-1 during that span.

His strong play in December has his name being mentioned in the discussion for Player of the Month after putting up 18.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 8.1 assists. 

The fact that it's a contract year for the 6'0" guard could also be a motivating factor. He'll become an unrestricted free agent this summer once his $6 million deal comes off the books. Then, he'll be able to table offers, see how much money he can make on the open market and then make a personal and professional decision on where he wants to play for the foreseeable future. 

Contract years are always a pain in the you know what. Perhaps, Lowry has no intention of staying with the franchise and is simply auditioning for his next big gig in the NBA. There is no way of knowing. A 27-year-old point guard who can score, defend and start for a majority of teams will surely be a hot commodity.

The last thing anyone wants to see who's associated with the Raptors is Lowry walking and leaving them with no compensation, which seems to be a recurring theme in the annals of team history. Do the names Tracy McGrady and Chris Bosh ring a bell? Those two are prime examples of what happens when you don't plan accordingly with impending free agency. You snooze, you lose. 

This is why the idea of sending Lowry on his way must at least be entertained. The 2014 NBA Trade Deadline is on Feb. 20, so Ujiri has a little over a month to work his magic if this is the path he wishes to go. 

What could Toronto even get for their floor general? No lottery-bound team will willingly hand over any first-round picks in the upcoming draft. Now matter how good Ujiri is at his job when it comes to swindling others out of assets, that may be a tad extreme even for him. 

Greivis Vasquez, who is currently backing up Lowry off the bench, is averaging 8.8 points and 3.4 assists in nine appearances since joining the Raptors. He started all 18 of his games earlier in the season for Sacramento, so he's more than capable of stepping in and filling any potential void left by Lowry. Would there be a drop in production? Possibly, but thrusting Vasquez into a starter's position won't make you cringe nearly as much than if it were Dwight Buycks or Julyan Stone, that's for sure.

Lowry was nearly sent to The Big Apple in December for a future first-round draft pick and/or some combination of Raymond Felton, Iman Shumpert and Tim Hardaway Jr., according to a report by Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Chairman James Dolan got cold feet and prevented it from taking place. Since that time, you rarely hear Lowry's name come up in trade rumours, if at all.

Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

If the trigger is pulled and he's moved by Feb. 20, you better believe that Ujiri intends to tank the season. That's how important Lowry has become to his teammates, the organization and fans all over the country. His numbers have been impressive, but the intangibles he brings as a leader and being vocal on the court are just as important, if not more so. 

You can't dispose of someone like that and expect the winning culture to continue right away. It's impossible.

There's a reason Lowry's name was being tossed around soon after the Rudy Gay trade. It was a sign that Ujiri was in fact looking to make his team worse for the present in order to be a contender in the near future. 

Well, that backfired awfully fast. The Raptors have rallied and come together as one to put forth one heck of a streak of solid, all-around performances where the basketball is moving and the offense is running like a well-oiled machine. 

That's exactly why they should NOT trade Kyle Lowry.

Look, this could all end tomorrow, and I understand that. We've been teased before. A couple of weeks of good fortune don't make a season.

Sure, Lowry can leave on his own merit and Toronto can be screwed over once again come July, but you need to roll the dice. You need to cross your fingers, toes, legs and everything else for that matter and hope that Lowry will sign on the dotted line for the Raptors. 

He's not the perfect solution by any stretch of the imagination. His shooting (42.3 percent from the field) could use some work, and he has a history of not getting along with coaches, although that has gotten better in recent years.

What matters most is that he meshes well with guys like DeMar DeRozan and Amir Johnson during games. At the end of the day, that's where success comes from. Just by sitting down and watching them play, you can see how Lowry is becoming even more of a facilitator and making those around him even better. 

His value is likely at an all-time high at the moment. All he needs now is a Mighty Mouse tattoo on his arm because the nostalgia he brings from the Damon Stoudamire era is pretty noticeable. The size and stature is similar, but the determination to win and put their bodies in harms way to draw contact and fouls every single game is how I connect the two. 

Let's keep Kyle Lowry. If he leaves, he leaves. 

Continue winning games and give him a reason to stay. Then, all will be well in the universe. 

Follow Featured Columnist Christopher Walder on Twitter at @WalderSports

*All statistics courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com*