The Philadelphia 76ers have recently been linked with Toronto Raptors star Kyle Lowry. Lowry was an integral part of the 2019 championship Raptors and the 76ers are hoping he can provide a similar output to help the 76ers to a first championship since the eighties.
Any deal would most likely require the 76ers young starlet, Tyrese Maxey, along with other filler players such as Danny Green who can help match salaries. Although this seems like a good deal on paper, as it adds an all-star caliber player to a competitive team, here are three reasons why this deal won’t end up happening.
He doesn’t fit the timeline
This is potentially the least significant issue, but it is an issue nonetheless. Lowry is currently 34 years old. On this current 76ers team, only Dwight Howard is older, and Howard has been mainly just a bench player. Lowry’s prime is already beginning to wane, and it will only get worse. Lowry’s $30 million contract runs out at the end of the year, and he will most likely get extended by whichever team he plays for. If the 76ers do end up trading Maxey for Lowry, it would be a risky and potentially costly gamble, considering Philadelphia’s already precarious salary cap situation. Unless Lowry can fire the 76ers to a championship this season, it probably won’t be worth it for the 76ers to trade for him.
He doesn’t fit the system
At the moment, the Philadelphia 76ers currently have Ben Simmons running point guard. Although Simmons isn’t putting up MVP numbers, averaging 16.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.7 assists, he is only second to Joel Embiid in win shares this year for the 76ers, with 3.6. In comparison, Lowry has just 2.8 win shares and has an 11-16 record when he starts for the Raptors.
At the moment, the 76ers have settled their team, and seem to have found a winning formula, and switching it up so that Kyle Lowry can fit in at point guard seems irrational, especially when Ben Simmons has been so important for them this year.
The 76ers would lose too much
Lowry is certainly a franchise icon for the Toronto Raptors. He is one of their greatest ever players and is beloved by the Raptors fans, to the point where there is a genuine desire for the team to raise a Lowry statue in front of their arena. Because of the loyalty and performance showcased by Lowry, it is unlikely the Raptors will easily part with him.
If the 76ers do seriously try to get Lowry, it is likely that they will have to part with at least Danny Green, Matisse Thybulle, Mike Scott and other salary-filling players. If they do this, they could find themselves in a similar situation to the Brooklyn Nets, in which they don’t have championship-level depth. They also wouldn’t be getting an MVP-level player as the Nets did. If the 76ers make this move they may come to regret it, especially if a lack of depth is what halts their championship challenge.