The Toronto Raptors' 2019 championship team is all but broken up, as the trades of Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby have left Chris Boucher (who could be traded soon) as the only remaining member of that team. Kyle Lowry was one of the first big names to leave when he joined the Miami Heat in free agency.
While Lowry helped the Heat achieve some solid postseason success, his declining production has made it necessary for Miami to seek upgrades. They seem to have found a trade partner in a division rival, as the move sent Lowry packing for what could be greener pastures.
Lowry was traded to the Charlotte Hornets along with a 2027 first-round draft pick in a deal that sent high-scoring guard Terry Rozier to Miami. Lowry getting stuck on the fourth-worst team in the league is a tough scene, but his ride may not last long.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that Charlotte does not intend to buy him out immediately, but will instead seek a trade that allows them to recoup assets before sending him off to a contending team. Lowry might get one last chance to hoist a championship trophy if that second trade goes through.
JUST JN: Miami is nearing a trade to acquire Charlotte's Terry Rozier for a package sending Kyle Lowry and draft compensation that includes a first-round pick, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. pic.twitter.com/FGFkpDifYe
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 23, 2024
Raptors great Kyle Lowry traded to Hornets, becomes buyout candidate
Lowry is finally starting to look like a player who will turn 38 in two months, as his production has slipped to the point where he is only amassing 8.2 points and 4.0 assists per game. Anyone expecting some sort of game-changing offensive production at this stage of his career will be bitterly disappointed.
Lowry could still have some value to a championship contender, as his 3-point shooting remains solid and his veteran craftiness helped him maintain a starting role on a Miami team that has beaten some of the best in the league. There's almost no chance Charlotte holds on to him.
The Philadelphia 76ers make almost too much sense for him, as they are his hometown team and led by his old coach in Nick Nurse. The Phoenix Suns might also check in on him, as their barren bench and injured backcourt would do well to pick up a player with his resume.
Lowry isn't going to stick around to see what the perpetually rebuilding Hornets are up to. This move will likely serve as the precursor to a second trade that gets Lowry out of Charlotte and onto a team with a rosier short-term outlook.
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