Toronto Raptors: 3 Reasons to Trade and 3 Reasons to Keep Kyle Lowry

Reason to Trade: Stunting the Growth of Younger Players

The second reason the Raptors should consider trading Kyle Lowry is to free up minutes for younger players to develop and grow. Over the last five seasons or so the Raptors have truly established themselves as having one of the best developmental programs in the NBA. Players like Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, Terence Davis, and other players have truly showcased the prowess of the Raptors’ developmental system.

With Kyle being 34 years old and soon to be 35, it may be time for the Raptors to move forward and see what talent do they have in their younger players. The most notable player to take over Kyle’s mantle is Fred VanVleet who has already established himself as a top-tier point guard in the NBA. Not to mention Fred plays very similar to Kyle in the sense that both players are intelligent guards who know how to get to the basket and spread the floor. Thus by trading Kyle, it opens up the opportunity for Fred to be the starting point guard and to continue to grow.

Along with Fred, other players in the Raptors system could benefit from more minutes and a bigger role. The first is Terence Davis who had a solid rookie campaign last season and showed flashes of being a solid scorer and creator if given a bigger role. The second player is Matt Thomas who has really showcased himself as a solid rotation player with his ability to space the floor. Finally, the most recent player is rookie Malachi Flynn who really impressed fans with his performance in the preseason and can be a solid piece for the Raptors if given consistent minutes to grow.

Overall the Raptors have an abundance of young players who are looking for an opportunity to showcase their talent in bigger roles. As an organization that prides itself on developing talent, the Raptors should look towards the future and trade away an aging veteran to make room to continue to grow younger players.