NBA: 5 big-name players who will be traded in 2019-20

Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors 

Kyle Lowry just keeps on proving to be a valuable piece for the Toronto Raptors and now he has a ring to show for it. He finally got the monkey off his back with some good playoff games after being the (hilarious) punchline for most of the disappointing Toronto playoff performances in recent years.

Lowry is heading into his 8th year as a Raptor and will go down as one of the best players in franchise history, but after trading DeMar DeRozan, Masai Ujiri has proven that he won’t let loyalty and good memories get in the way of making the right business move.

With Kawhi Leonard‘s departure, the Raptors won’t have a chance to be a real contender in the Eastern Conference this year. They just don’t have the talent to compete with teams like the Bucks and 76ers at the top of the league, which presents Ujiri with an interesting dilemma that a lot of teams will face: are they buyers or sellers?

I think Ujiri will see the writing on the wall and head into the trade deadline as a seller barring an unexpectedly hot start from the group currently in place. Lowry is heading into the last year of his deal and assuming he’s still playing at a level close to what he’s been the last few years, it’s easy to see point guard needy contenders trying to bring him in for a playoff push. It won’t be easy for the Raptors to pull the trigger given Lowr’s tenure, but it’s time to move on.