The LA Clippers should keep an eye on Kyle Lowry
On paper and statistically, the LA Clippers are off to a fast start at 6-3 through the first two weeks of the NBA season but this record does not tell the full story, as it is clear to see the Clippers are missing something. That something is a point guard, which is the same conversation carried over from last season.
The point guard in question here is Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors. Lowry is the voice in the locker room, and out on the court, this team is missing. The Clippers get criticized for not having a leader on the floor, and Lowry more than checks this box.
If this trade were to happen, it would also reunite Lowry with Kawhi Leonard and Serge Ibaka, who together led the Raptors to their only NBA Finals appearance and victory in 2019. It is no secret that Leonard was the puzzle piece the Raptors had been missing to help them get over the hump in the Eastern Conference.
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Most people fail to realize that Lowry, not Leonard, was the proverbial straw that stirred the Raptors drink in 2019. Leonard was the mercenary brought in to be that superstar to take the team and the city of Toronto to the promised land. Lowry was still the leading voice in that locker room just as he has been during most of his Raptors career.
Even at the age of 34, Lowry still, plenty to offer to a team with championship aspirations. While he is making $30.5 million this season, luckily, he is in the last year of his current contract. So, if the Clippers were to figure out a way to bring Lowry out to Los Angeles, he would come off their books at the end of this 2020-21 season.
With the way the Raptors have looked so far this season, Lowry would probably welcome the trade and chance to reunite with former teammates Leonard and Ibaka, in hopes of creating another magical run like the one they collaborated on in Toronto.
Through seven games this season with the Raptors, Lowry is averaging 19.4 points, 7.4 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game. He is shooting 43.4 percent from the field and splashing on 35.7 percent of his 3-point shots.
Bringing in Lowry would allow the Clippers to bring Patrick Beverly off the bench unless he was involved in any potential trade. The Clippers would need to give up multiple players to make this trade for Lowry possible, but this is a move that could catapult this franchise to its first NBA Championship.
Lowry can lead this team and let Leonard and Paul George focus on scoring and defending which is what the Clippers brought them in to do. Neither guy has ever been the true “leader” of a team that has made it to or won an NBA title.
For Leonard’s first championship with the San Antonio Spurs, he was the hungry young wing defender with a ton of potential but was nowhere close to leading the Spurs in 2014. In Toronto, Leonard was brought in to be a mercenary, and to his credit, he was just that. Though, he was never the leader of that team either.
Lowry to the Clippers seems like a no brainer. One major obstacle standing in the way is a lack of assets on the Clippers’ part in terms of compensation for the Raptors. Since Lowry is in the final year of his contract, it likely would not cost the Clippers as much to get him. But when you have zero first-round draft picks over the next 12 years, this can make it quite difficult to trade for an impact player. Yes, that is an exaggeration, but this franchise did essentially trade away five first-rounders to acquire George from the OKC Thunder in the summer of 2019.
Added to that, Leonard declined to sign an extension just before this season began. A move like this could be enough to get the Clippers over the hump and keep Leonard around long-term. Though Leonard will likely sign a long-term contract with the Clippers in the offseason, you just never know.
Whether the Clippers acquire Lowry or not, it is clear this team needs a floor general and a player who can hit big shots in high-pressure moments. Someone that will not shrink under the spotlight or go into a shell when the team needs them most. The Clippers would bring Lowry in for his leadership and veteran experience. He may be the best option the Clippers have left after missing out on Rajon Rondo and Chris Paul during the offseason.
It will be interesting to see what the Clippers do between now and the trade deadline. Otherwise, it could be yet another disappointing ending to a season for Clippers fans.