NBA Trade Deadline: The latest updates on Kyle Lowry

Man, oh man, have we been hearing a plethora of trade rumors today from around the league. We’ve seen a ton of rumors emerge on Tuesday, such as the Pacers apparently gauging the value of their core, the fact that Aaron Gordon is likely to be dealt in the coming days, and the ongoing saga of Lonzo Ball (maybe) being traded.

However, most Sixers fans have been glued to their phones/laptops/screens/newspapers in regards to Philly native Kyle Lowry. Toronto appears to be willing to have discussions in regards to the most accomplished Raptor of all time. The timing is impeccable as well, as the Raptors helped the Houston Rockets break a 20-game losing streak on Monday.

It’s very hard to keep up with the recent news as we continue to see rumors and trades sporadically appear out of thin air. So, I’ve taken the liberty of compiling some quotes from some of the best news-breakers around the NBA.

We’ll begin with Kevin O’Connor (KOC) of The Ringer, who broke news that Miami is heavily pursuing the Raptors guard a few days ago. He made an appearance on Chris Vernon’s podcast “The Mismatch” to discuss trade talk. O’Connor began talking about Lowry around the 30-minute mark. Here are some of the biggest takeaways:

• The Heat are very unlikely to add Tyler Herro into any Kyle Lowry deal.
• Miami has engaged OKC in an attempt to lessen protections on their owed 2023 first-round pick as an attempt to offer more draft compensation.
• O’Connor mentioned a rough look at the framework of what Miami offered thus far — featuring Precious Achiuwa, Kendrick Nunn, and Kelly Olynyk.
• O’Connor was adamant that Philly was NOT out of the Kyle Lowry trade discussions.
• O’Connor mentioned that the Sixers have not been willing to put Tyrese Maxey into trade offers thus far. He went on to mention something along the lines of Matisse Thybulle and a first-round pick.
• The Sixers have been working on possible three-team scenarios to make salary work in a Lowry trade.
• The Toronto Raptors’ front office is apparently “split” on if they should deal Lowry.
• The decision behind trading Lowry will likely be decided by Kyle himself, along with Raptors president Masai Ujiri.

There’s a lot to unpack here, as it gives us a small glimpse into the discussions surrounding Kyle Lowry. It’s good to see that the Sixers are far from out of the race for Lowry. It seems like talks are still in the early stages, and that both sides of the bidding wear will ramp up their offers with time.

One of the most interesting points, in my opinion, would be in regards to their view on including Maxey/Thybulle. Matisse Thybulle has shined in the recent months, and has been a huge factor in the Sixers’ top-ranked defense in recent days. Maxey has a much higher ceiling than Thybulle, but has been out of the regular rotation since late January.

Speaking of Maxey, he seems to be the potential key in the Sixers’ chances to land Lowry. The New York Times’ Marc Stein also went in depth in his newsletter about some of the discussions surrounding Lowry in the coming days:

• Stein went on to say that signals were “strong” that a deal for Lowry with Miami or Philly could materialize in the coming days.
• Stein said the Sixers were unwilling to part with Tyrese Maxey in Harden trade talks, and that the Sixers will need “to get creative” to land Lowry if their stance continues to hold in that regard. Maxey is viewed as a “natural target” for the Raptors.
• The Sixers have an edge over Miami in terms of what they can offer in the form of draft compensation.
• The Raptors have “quietly agreed” to accommodate Lowry on a trade destination of his choosing, assuming it also benefits the team.
• Miami is trying to win the Lowry race while keeping Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro.

A lot of this lines up with Kevin O’Connor’s insight on the current discussions surrounding Lowry.

It looks like Toronto covets landing Tyrese Maxey in a theoretical Lowry deal. The type of talk going on around the league right now is a bunch of teams having high asks that are countered by lowball offers. Expect both Miami’s and Philly’s offers to go up with time in attempt to bolster their chances in an arms race in the Eastern Conference.

Get Daryl Morey a coffee and his Ke$ha music. He’s in for an eventful next few days, one way or another. We will keep you updated on any and all trade talk in the coming days.