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Kyle Lowry Trade Rumors: Raptors 'Seriously Engaged' with Lakers, Heat, 76ers
March 25, 2021
Hours away from the NBA trade deadline, Kyle Lowry's future with the Toronto Raptors appears to be very much up in the air.
Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Raptors are "seriously engaged" in trade talks with the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers for the six-time All-Star.
Despite snapping their nine-game losing streak on Wednesday with a victory over the Denver Nuggets, the Raptors are currently 11th in the Eastern Conference standings with an 18-26 record.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported this week that Toronto is discussing Lowry and Norman Powell in trade talks leading up to Thursday's 3 p.m. ET deadline.
Wojnarowski noted that Lowry's chances of getting dealt "are gaining traction" because of his status as a free agent this summer.
The Lakers are the most recent addition to the Lowry sweepstakes. LeBron James is out indefinitely with a high ankle sprain. Head coach Frank Vogel told reporters last Thursday that Anthony Davis would likely be reevaluated "in another few days" but hasn't provide any update on when he might return to game action.
It's unclear how Los Angeles might be able to make a deal for Lowry work. ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on The Jump that the reigning NBA champions "aren't willing" to include Talen Horton-Tucker or draft picks in a trade.
The 76ers and Heat have frequently been linked to Lowry leading up to the trade deadline. Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix has reported that Miami is the "front-runner" to acquire the 35-year-old.
Injuries have played a role in the Heat's 22-22 record at this point, but they've also just been an inconsistent team. They are in the midst of a four-game losing streak after winning 11 of 12 games from Feb. 18 to March 16.
Philadelphia is operating from a position of power as the best team in the Eastern Conference. Joel Embiid's knee injury did cause a scare, but Charania reported this week that the All-Star center feels "a lot better than he expected" and could push to return before the initial two-week timetable.
The Sixers have won five of six games without Embiid and are 31-13 overall, but they are facing stiff competition in the Atlantic Division from the Brooklyn Nets (30-15).
Lowry could potentially swing the balance of power for any team in the playoff race. The 35-year-old is averaging 17.4 points on 39.5 percent three-point shooting, 7.5 assists and 5.6 rebounds in 37 starts this season.