NBA Trade Rumors: Raptors Open to Offers for DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry

Despite winning a franchise-record 59 games in the 2017-18 regular season, the Toronto Raptors are reportedly open to the idea of trading All-Stars DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry.

According to TSN's Josh Lewenberg, the Raptors aren't shopping DeRozan and Lowry, but they are "open for business" and willing to listen to offers.

Both DeRozan and Lowry have been All-Stars together in each of the past three seasons, and they are both four-time All-Stars overall.

After averaging a career-high 27.3 points per game in 2016-17, DeRozan put up 23.0 points, 5.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds per contest last season.

Lowry also had a career year in 2016-17 with 22.4 points per game before dropping off to 16.2 points, 6.9 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game in 2017-18.

With a 59-23 mark, the Raptors were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference last season, finishing four games ahead of the Boston Celtics.

Playoff success continued to elude them, though, as LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers swept them in the second round.

Cleveland has now bounced Toronto in each of the past three seasons, and the best result the Raptors have is an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2015-16.

The Raptors already showed a willingness to make a big change, as they fired head coach Dwane Casey after the 2017-18 campaign despite the fact that he was named NBA Coach of the Year.

Although DeRozan and Lowry are productive players, their contracts make it difficult for the Raptors to do much else with the roster.

The 28-year-old DeRozan has two years remaining on his contract at over $27.7 million per season before a player option in 2020-21, while Lowry also has two years remaining at an average of roughly $32 million per season.

Trading either or both wouldn't be an easy decision, but it may be necessary. DeRozan has defensive deficiencies, and it is unclear how much longer Lowry can maintain an All-Star level of play at 32.

With the Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers having the makings of elite Eastern Conference teams for years to come, it might behoove the Raptors to shake things up and begin building around younger players such as Jonas Valanciunas, Fred VanVleet, Delon Wright, Jakob Poeltl and OG Anunoby.