Kyle Lowry Rumors: Raptors Confident They Can Do Sign-and-Trade in Offseason

Toronto Raptors star Kyle Lowry wasn't one of the players moved ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, but the team is "optimistic" they'll be able to put together a sign-and-trade deal this offseason, per USA Today's Mark Medina.  

The six-time All-Star will be a free agent this summer, ahead of his 16th season in the league.

Through 37 games this season, Lowry has averaged 17.4 points, 7.5 assists and 5.6 rebounds. 

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday that teams were turned off by the possibility of having to  meet Lowry's contract demands in free agency if they wanted to continue to keep him around following a trade, and those fears "impacted how far teams were willing to go on him." 

Lowry didn't seem too flustered by the trade talk on Wednesday, even as there were reports that linked him to the Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers (h/t ESPN's Tim Bontemps): 

"Whatever will be will be, honestly. That's the truth. Whatever will be will be. At the end of the day, everything happens for a reason. You can't control everything, and in some situations you can, but every decision that has happened that I've had a choice in doing has worked out for me very well, and everything will be fine. At the end of the day, everything will be fine no matter what happens."

The Raptors were active at the deadline, moving Norman Powell to the Portland Trail Blazers in a deal that brought Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood to a Toronto group that just ended a nine-game losing streak by defeating the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. 

With their new team, they'll be tasked with bringing the Raptors into playoff position, as the team currently sits at 10th in the Eastern Conference at 18-26.