New York Knicks owner James Dolan reportedly vetoed the impending trade for Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry. Dolan didn't want to get "fleeced" again like he believes he did in the Carmelo Anthony trade, the New York Daily News reports.
Yahoo! Sports and ESPN both reported on Thursday that the Raptors and Knicks were constructing a deal to send Lowry to New York. The deal included Raymond Felton, Metta World Peace and a 2018 first-round draft pick, according to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.
The trade talks, however, stalled at the behest of Dolan. The Knicks' owner didn't like the idea of giving up a first-round pick, and he felt concerned about the public perception of him getting the short-end of the stick again with Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri.
Ujiri was the Denver Nuggets' general manager who negotiated the Carmelo Anthony trade with Dolan in 2011, which some would argue was lopsided in favor of Denver.
"Dolan didn't want to get fleeced again by Masai," a Knicks source told The Daily News. "They had a deal ready."
Sources told Wojnarowski the same thing.
"Knicks owner Jim Dolan is sensitive to the public perception that Toronto general manager Masai Ujiri bamboozled New York in the Carmelo Anthony trade, and the chance of getting panned for giving up too much in a deal for Lowry has become a hurdle in these talks, league sources told Yahoo Sports," wrote Wojnarowski.
If New York is unable to reach an agreement with Toronto, the Brooklyn Nets are believed to be next in line to discuss acquiring Lowry.
Lowry, 27, is averaging 14.6 points and 6.7 assists per game this season. His addition would bolster the Knicks' backcourt, and his expiring contract would give the team cap flexibility in the summer.
