The NBA trade deadline is still weeks away but that hasn't stopped rumors from popping up all around the league and Kyle Lowry has some heat again on the Toronto Raptors and teams like the Indiana Pacers, Golden State Warriors, LA Lakers, Sacramento Kings or Atlanta Hawks could be interested and names like Danny Granger or George Hill could get involved.
The Raptors are right in the mix in the eastern conference after everyone expected that they would tank for the number one pick so that they could select Andrew Wiggins, the Canadian phenom, but so far things have not worked out that way. Kyle Lowry was looking like a guaranteed trade chip earlier in the season when the Raptors spoke with the Knicks about him and the two sides were close to a deal before New York backed out.
Soon after that reports came out that the Raptors would hold on to Lowry, but now new reports from ESPN.com write Marc Stein say the team may want to deal the guard since he could end up leaving for nothing and that is something general manager Masai Ujiri does not want to happen. Stein writes that the team may be looking for a partner since they do not want to have Lowry go to another team as a free agent, leaving the Raptors with nothing. Ujiri has to walk a fine line, as he is building for the future, but fans are excited about this team and he has shown already with the Rudy Gay Kings trade that making a move doesn't always hurt the team and he could use that to his advantage again.
Lowry's value has been rising as the season has been going on, as the team is over .500 and he has been leading at the point and has been putting up some great numbers, including the best of his career in minutes per game as well as assists, scoring and his shots from the outside and now the team must find a willing partner. The Knicks deal fell apart when the team did not want to give up too much for Lowry and that will be the frame for Ujiri when the trading deadline gets closer.
According to ESPN.com, the Indiana Pacers are a solid fit for the deal, as the team could use an upgrade at point guard and adding someone like Lowry would solidify that before the playoffs. The Pacers are best in the east right now and they need to keep that up and while Lowry would fit over George Hill, who has a $40 million deal, the team also could use Danny Granger as a trading chip and Ujiri may want that more since he has an expiring contract as well. Hill is averaging just over 10 points per game and less than four assists and while the PG isn't nearly as important for the Pacers since they also have Paul George, adding someone like Lowry could be another leg up for the team over the Miami Heat.