Los Angeles Lakers are heading into this summer with an intention to pair LeBron James with a second (and possibly a third) star in an attempt to construct a championship contender. While their main focus will be free-agency and getting Anthony Davis, the team will also explore swapping their young stars for proven veterans. Reportedly, one of the veterans Lakers are interested in trading for is Toronto Raptors’ Kyle Lowry.
According to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News, Lakers will pursue a trade for Lowry in case that Kawhi Leonard leaves Toronto in the summer. If this happens, the Raptors will presumably head into a rebuild and Lowry might find himself on the chopping block considering his expiring contract and trade potential.
For Lakers, getting Kyle Lowry would make sense as the team needs shooters, playmaking abilities, and someone who can play without the ball; and Lowry checks all these boxes. Also, trading for Lowry wouldn’t require the team to give up many of their prized assets. Finally, Lowry is becoming a free agent in 2020 so the Lakers could have enough cap space to pursue another max free agent.
Lowry played 65 games for the Raptors in the regular season and averaged 14.2 points, 8.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.
Other players that Lakers might target besides Lowry according to Deveney include Washington Wizards’ Bradley Beal and Utah Jazz’s Derrick Favors.
