NBA Rumors: Analyzing Trade Reports on Aaron Gordon, Kyle Lowry and More

The 2021 NBA trade deadline is inching closer. It will arrive at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, and after that, the market will be closed until the offseason.

A few notable names remain in the rumor mill, with Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry and Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon among the biggest. However, an early flurry of trades before and shortly after the start of the regular season has left the market largely devoid of superstars.

There is no James Harden or Anthony Davis out there to dominate the headlines.

Still, trading for a high-end role player like Lowry and Gordon could put a contender one step closer to title contention, so moves are going to occur.

Here, we'll examine the latest buzz ahead of the rapidly approaching deadline.

If Gordon is truly available, it could be because he's looking to get out of Orlando. According to Jared Weiss and Sam Amick of The Athletic, he requested a trade through his representatives in February.

According to the report, the Boston Celtics have reached out to the Magic about acquiring the 25-year-old.

"Sources say the Celtics, whose significant struggles this season appear to have increased the pressure to add another impactful player in time for the playoff push, have been among the teams engaged with the Magic about a possible Gordon deal," Weiss and Amick wrote.

Boston isn't the only team to have reached out to Orlando, though. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, the Houston Rockets have also been in talks with the Magic.

"The Rockets and Magic have engaged in talks on a Gordon deal to Houston for two first-round draft picks, sources have told The Athletic," he wrote. "No deal is imminent on this front as of this writing, but there have been significant talks."

It will be up to Orlando to actually pull the trigger on a deal, of course, but at this point, it feels like the Magic will be able to get a quality return if they are interested in moving Gordon.

According to Charania, Kyle Lowry also has suitors, with the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat among them.

The Heat are particularly noteworthy, though, as there could be mutual interest. According to The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor, Miami would be a preferred destination if Lowry must be dealt.

"Lowry recently said he wants to retire with the Raptors even if he needs to sign a one-day contract. But if he gets dealt, league sources say his preferred destination is Miami because of his close friendship with Jimmy Butler," O'Connor wrote.

The problem for Miami is that it isn't rich with draft assets, something ESPN's Zach Lowe recently alluded to.

"It might be hard for Miami to cobble an attractive enough package given they cannot trade any first-round picks unless they lift protections on the 2023 pick they owe," he wrote.

A bigger issue, per Lowe, is that Toronto may not be willing to move Lowry, who turns 35 on Thursday.

"Several recent reports in the Toronto media have suggested the Raptors are unlikely to trade Lowry, including one report that the Raptors have straight up told suitors they will not deal him," Lowe added. "I have not heard that from league sources."

While Lowry probably isn't truly untouchable, the Raptors won't move him on the cheap—especially with him wanting to stay with the franchise.

While Gordon and Lowry appear to be in high demand, the same doesn't appear to be true for Cleveland Cavaliers center JaVale McGee—at least as it relates to the trade market.

The 33-year-old has drawn some interest, but according to Lowe, they'd prefer to land him on the buyout market.

"Several strong playoff teams have contacted the Cavaliers about McGee, but some are gauging the likelihood of a buyout before coughing up assets, league sources said," he wrote.

And it is beginning to look more likely that the Nevada product will be bought out rather than traded.

"It is becoming more likely that a new destination for the Cleveland Cavaliers backup center would occur not by trade, but rather a buyout, league sources told Yahoo Sports," Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes wrote.

As is always the case this time of year, though, things can be subject to change. While most teams could be willing to sit and wait for McGee to become available, it only takes one team to swoop in and preempt the buyout market with a trade proposal.