As the Sixers gear up for a postseason where they are expected to make a deep run on the back of an MVP-worthy campaign by superstar center Joel Embiid, the team also appears to have its eye on the future as well. Particularly, the team is focused on adding to what is already an explosive offense under head coach Doc Rivers and that comes in the way of Kyle Lowry.
In a recent report from Sam Amick of The Athletic, Amick cites that Philly is still interested in trading for the veteran point guard Kyle Lowry, despite their unsuccessful attempt to acquire him this past trade deadline.
“Lowry not getting traded at the March 25 deadline was quite a surprise, but it wasn’t for lack of trying on the part of the Toronto front office,” Amick said. “But as team president Masai Ujiri made clear back then, the Raptors still have an incredibly high opinion of Lowry and his game that — as they saw it — wasn’t properly reflected in the offers that came their way. Yet among the three teams known to be in hot pursuit of Lowry back then — the Lakers, Miami, and Philadelphia — only the Heat are in a financial position to possibly sign Lowry outright this summer.
Sources say the Sixers still plan on pursuing him by way of a possible sign-and-trade. While they added George Hill at the deadline in lieu of Lowry, only $1.2 million of his $10 million salary for next season is guaranteed, and the deal expires at that point. The Lowry interest remains very strong there.”
Kyle Lowry, 35, is not the player he once was but would certainly bolster an already efficient Sixers offense. His leadership, playmaking ability, and efficient scoring tendencies would make him a welcome addition should the team acquire him.
Of course, in their second go-round at trying to fetch Lowry, the asking price is expected to be significantly less for the Sixers. By keeping Lowry past the deadline this year, the Toronto Raptors lost out on a chance to take advantage of desperate playoff teams vying for the former all-star’s services by hiking the asking price up.
Now, with teams forced to do playoff battle without him and Lowry one year older than he was at the beginning of the season, one can expect a dip in potential trade cost.
This isn’t to say that acquiring Lowry would be cheap, though, as the savvy vet has proven so far this season that he still has quite a bit left in the tank. Now in his fifteenth NBA season, Lowry is averaging nearly 17 PPG on 43% shooting from the floor. He is also shooting an impressive 38% from deep, which would match his career-high.
Again, there is no disputing that the Sixers would love to have him, but I find it hard to believe they can acquire someone as talented as Lowry without having to part with a core member of the current nucleus in Philly.
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Additionally, the Sixers cap situation makes any potential trade increasingly difficult. Already well over the cap and boasting the third-least cap room, acquiring Lowry would take a major increase in next year’s salary cap and several professional mathematicians to work a sign-and-trade out.
The financial difficulty of the move partnered with the likelihood of trading a valuable asset makes a move for Lowry at the very least unlikely. Still, though, under known competitors Daryl Morey and HC Doc Rivers, the Sixers are expected to always be on the lookout for more talent.
For now, the team will keep their sights set on the postseason and try to earn a championship, but it will also be interesting to see how things play out this summer.
Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire
