NBA Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz on Kyle Lowry, Evan Turner and More
The NBA players get a weekend to rest during the All-Star Game festivities, but the rumor mill never takes a break.
With Thursday's trade deadline fast approaching, front offices are running out of time to make a maneuver. While the hot stove is burning up, teams actually pulling the trigger on a deal is a separate animal.
One of the game's budding stars will now probably stay put despite earlier trade rumors. One of the league's coldest teams could jettison a big piece to its puzzle before he has a chance to leave in free agency.
And an old rumor is now returning from the dead a week before the deadline. Let's take a look at what's happening around the league.
Raptors Holding on to Lowry?
Earlier in the season, the Toronto Raptors tested the market for point guard Kyle Lowry, who the team hoped could fetch it a first-round draft pick.
Now that he has solidified himself as one of the Eastern Conference's premier point guards, the organization appears content to keep him around. According to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, the Raptors are now "showing significant resistance" to parting with Lowry.
"While there are never absolutes – especially if a team makes an unexpectedly rich offer – Toronto officials and sources close to Lowry have emphasized lately that Lowry appears destined to finish the season with the Atlantic Division-leading Raptors.
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Lowry is having a banner year across the board, averaging 16.7 points, 7.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds per contest while shooting a respectable 43.1 percent. According to Basketball-Reference, he ranks sixth with 8.1 win shares, the highest mark of any player in the East besides LeBron James.
Whether he was convincing the Raptors to keep him or auditioning for a new club, Lowry stepped up his game after initial trade rumors spread. The All-Star snub scored 18.3 points a game throughout December and January.
While the Raptors could fetch a greater return than they originally expected months ago, they will likely contend look to maintain their lead in the Atlantic with Lowry playing the point.
Bobcats Turning up Pursuit of Turner?
Now this is what everybody expected from the Philadelphia 76ers.
Expected to be a top contender for the No. 1 pick, the 76ers instead jumped out of the gate by beating the Miami Heat and starting 4-2. But after recently losing eight straight games (two each by more than 40 points), the 76ers are looking to shop forward Evan Turner.
According to Grantland's Zach Lowe, another meddling team from the East wants him.
"The Bobcats are absolutely serious about pursuing Turner, per several league sources, and the Sixers could take on Ben Gordon’s expiring contract along with one of Charlotte’s extra first-rounders (likely the 2014 pick Portland owes it) if that closes the deal.
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The 76ers would get a valuable expiring contract to further their rebuilding project, and Turner could either leave or force them to give him a big raise as a restricted free agent this offseason. As for the Bobcats, they enter the break as the No. 8 seed despite their 23-30 record. Their 94.7 points per game on offense ties the Grizzlies for the fourth-worst in the league.
Turner needs the ball to succeed, and he's getting just that in Philadelphia. He's scoring a career-high 17.5 points per night on the strength of 15.4 shot attempts per contest. He's a ghastly 28.5 percent from long range, but Turner can create his own shot when given the chance.
Unwilling to rebuild, the Bobcats can help bolster their prospects of making the postseason by acquiring a wingman to complement Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker.
Shumpert-Faried Talks Resuming?
Take two on the Iman Shumpert-Kenneth Faried swap?
According to ESPN's Marc Stein, the New York Knicks are not ready to give up their pursuit of the Denver Nuggets forward.
"The Knicks, I'm told, are trying to re-engage Denver in what has become a season-long crusade to convince the Nuggets to consent to a trade that essentially swaps Iman Shumpert for Kenneth Faried.
One source close to the situation said the most likely trade scenario -- if it ever progresses to a serious stage -- would package Shumpert and Beno Udrih to Denver for Faried and Jordan Hamilton. But that's the issue; New York simply hasn't been able to get Denver to seriously consider the idea."
Neither youngster is having a particularly strong season. Shumpert's offensive progression has stalled massively for the struggling Knicks. Mostly relegating to catch-and-shooting from behind the arc, he is posting a dreadful 38.2 overall field-goal percentage.
The 23-year-old had an amazing start to 2014 by posting 27 points against the San Antonio Spurs and 26 against the Houston Rockets, but he has since reached double-digit point totals three times in 18 games.
While Faried is scoring 10.4 points per game at an efficient clip of 54.4 percent, he has averaged 7.5 boards (down from his 9.2 last season) in 3.4 fewer minutes a night.
The Wall Street Journal's Chris Herring left a recent matchup between the Knicks and Nuggets unimpressed with both guys tangled into this trade rumor.
At this point, it looks like wishful thinking on the Knicks' part. Shumpert has never looked the same since tearing his ACL during the playoffs in 2012, and Faried would at least provide a listless team with some much-needed energy.
For the Nuggets, there's really no reason to bother. Don't expect this deal to go down before the deadline.
