Tuesday night, Woj tweeted out that the Raptors are shopping starting guards Kyle Lowry and Norman Powell and have multiple teams vying for their services.
This report comes on the heels of a 117-99 loss to the Houston Rockets, who before Monday night’s game were riding a 20 game losing streak. This loss also sparked a $50,000 fine to Pascal Siakam, who had “choice words” for Nick Nurse following the loss.
Masai Ujiri has also been linked to rumors that he is eager to rebuild following the 2019 championship the organization won thanks to his move to acquire one time Raptor Kawhi Leonard.
Moving on from both Lowry and Powell could help jumpstart a rebuild and send an influx of young players to learn around Siakam as well as Fred VanVleet.
Let’s take a look at some of the best offers teams around the league could make to land either of the Raptor’s guards.
The Sixers are one team very eager to go out and grab a guard to solidify the bench unit. Bringing in Lowry certainly does that, but at what cost?
While this gets the job done, it mortgages the future by getting rid of two young guards who could be part of a core for years to come, but with the injuries plaguing the Lakers out west, could this be the time to pull the trigger and go all in?
If I’m Daryl Morey and the 76ers, I hold out on this trade and look elsewhere for guards. You could get a value deal done by acquiring veteran guards George Hill or Delon Wright for very little and still keep your young guys around to contend for multiple years.
Philadelphia 76ers part II
Here we are again with Philadelphia what looks to be a much better value trade than before.
Sure you’re still giving away a young asset in Tyrese Maxey and a protected first in 2022, but Powell fits the timeline with this 76ers core much better than Lowry and is on a bargain deal making just $10.8 million next year.
Acquiring Powell while also trading for Wright or Hill could make things very interesting for the 76ers and make them Eastern Conference favorites for the next couple of seasons.
Nate McMillan has given a spark to this Hawks team since becoming the head coach following the ousting of Lloyd Pierce, going 8-1 since taking over. But could they use a little something extra on offense?
They probably don’t need any, but with rumors going around that Cam Reddish is on the trade block, you might as well swing for the fences and get the most value you can.
Toronto could probably find a better deal involving Powell (see above) but this at least gives you a few years of a former lottery pick on a cheap deal as well as some draft capitol.
The Celtics are an absolute mess. They are sitting at the eighth seed in the East with a 21-22 record and people seem to be turning on Brad Stevens, who just a few years ago was regarded as one of if not the best coach in the league.
Even All-Star level play from Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum can’t save the Celtics, but maybe these two can.
This trade can help both parties get what they want and then some.
For the Celtics, it adds two scorers with Lowry coming in to help anchor the defensive end on the perimeter with Marcus Smart. It also allows you to experiment with a small lineup of Lowry, Smart, Powell, Brown and Tatum.
On the flip side, Toronto gets three players all 22 years old or younger while getting a stop gap point guard in Walker. Some may argue that Walker foils the Raptors plans of tanking but I would have to disagree.
This team is sitting 11th in the East with Lowry and Powell. They clearly get worse this season with whoever they bring back. With Walker, though, he gives you the ability to move on from him next year if he has a resurgence of any kind.
Will this be all from Toronto?
While Siakam and VanVleet are still under 27 years old, by the time the Raptors expect to be competing again, those two could be out of their prime and unable to be the stars of the show as they are now.
I can’t imagine either gets moved by Thursday, but don’t be surprised to hear their names floating around the rumor mill come June.
