On the eve of the NBA trade deadline, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski dropped one of his signature “Woj Bombs” linking the Los Angeles Lakers to six-time All-Star Kyle Lowry. During the Woj & Lowe: Trade Deadline Special, Wojnarowski labeled the Lakers as a sleeper team to potentially trade for Lowry.
“Kyle Lowry is very much available now, and listen, there is a perfect storm going on in Toronto with the losing streak, how far back they have fallen back in the Eastern Conference standings with COVID issues, injuries and the fact that obviously, Lowry is in the final year of his deal,” Wojnarowski explained. “Philadelphia, the Miami Heat, there are a number of teams engaged. And as you know Zach, the Raptors Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster, their front office, they’re going to work with Kyle Lowry and his agent Mark Bartelstein on where he might like to play if they’re going to do a deal. Here’s one team too, Zach. Don’t rule out of this one between now and Thursday’s trade deadline: the Lakers.”
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The Lakers Would Likely Have to Trade Schroder to the Raptors for Lowry
LeBron and AD deciding who the Lakers trading for Kyle Lowry
Lowry’s $30 million salary complicates a potential trade to the Lakers, but Los Angeles could make it work by parting with a few key players. The Lakers acquiring Lowry assuredly means the Schroder era in Los Angeles would be closed. Schroder’s $16 million salary would be needed to make any deal work, and the Lakers are unlikely to sign both Lowry and their current point guard to an extension.
The Lakers and Schroder have been discussing a contract extension but so far have been unable to reach a deal. Schroder has indicated on multiple occasions that his preference is to remain in L.A. but added he is looking for a “fair” deal.
“In eight years, I didn’t feel one time where I had to, you know, can sit down in the summer and just see the options,” Schroder noted, per The Orange County Register. “So, we’re kind of, between these: Should we just sign the extension? Or should we wait until the summer? Because at the end of the day, I want to be a Laker for a long time. I always say I want it to be fair.”
Lowry Is Seeking a 2-Year, $50 Million Contract Extension
The Lakers linked to trading for… Kyle Lowry? (via @wojespn)
More #NBATradeDeadline talk with @VeniceMase & @LAIreland at 12:55 PM on 710 ESPN 📻 t.co/Wda75IMccI
The Raptors point guard is averaging 17.6 points, 7.4 points, 5.6 rebounds while shooting 39.1 percent from behind the arc in his 36 starts in 2020-21. This season marked the end of a six-year All-Star streak for Lowry. The 34-year-old guard is at a much different point in his career than Schroder. The Lakers point guard is averaging 15 points, 4.7 assists and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 31.7 percent from three in his 40 appearances.
Lowry is seeking a minimum of a two-year, $50 million contract extension from his new team, per The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey. Zach Lowe responded to Wojnarowski linking the Lakers to Lowry adding there may be extra motivation for a deal with LeBron James and Anthony Davis both sidelined.
“Woah, that’s spicy,” Lowe said. “Well, look, the Lakers, if LeBron and Anthony Davis are out for longer than may be expected or out for 15 or 20 games or whatever it is. They are at real risk of falling into the play-in tournament in the Western Conference which is an incredible turn of events. But the Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets, more or less, are the focus of some of these other teams like Philadelphia and Miami who might consider themselves one piece away, one little tweak away from competing with the biggest and the best teams.”
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