According to iSports Times, there are trade rumors spreading around the NBA involving Toronto Raptors All-Star Kyle Lowry in exchange for last season's NBA All-Rookie First Team's Jahlil Okafor.
Entering his 11th season, Lowry is considered as one of the top point guards in the NBA. During his 4 years with the Toronto Raptors, he became a two-time NBA All-Star, voted as a starter in the past two seasons. He was also named in All-NBA Third Team last season and was a member of the Team USA who won gold medal in 2016 Rio Olympics.
Lowry led the team to have the highest total wins in regular season in franchise history with a record of 56-26. Together with his backcourt duo in DeMar DeRozan, they carried the Raptors to their first NBA Eastern Conference Finals last season. They were knocked out by the eventual NBA Champs Cleveland Cavaliers, but they were still considered as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
The Philadelphia 76ers is a rebuilding team. And having Lowry on their roster will give them a little hope to make the playoffs. With his high basketball IQ, competitiveness and natural talent for basketball, the offensive and defensive power of the Sixers will surely increase. He can drive to the basket, shoot threes, play defense and get his teammates more involve at both ends of the floor.
With the young core talents like Robert Covington, Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel and with the support of NBA veterans like Elton Brand and Gerald Henderson, the Sixers have a slim hope of make the playoffs if they manage to get Kyle Lowry. And with the way the Eastern Conference is right now, anything can happen.
Jahlil Okafor, on the other hand, is just in his 2nd NBA season. Drafted as the 3rd overall pick by the Philadephia 76ers in the 2015 NBA Draft, he played in 53 games and average 17.5 points, 7.0 rebound and 1.2 blocks per game. He was fifth in the NBA Rookie of the Year award last season and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
The Toronto Raptors has already have a talented big man in Jonas Valanciunas. But losing Bismack Biyombo, who signed a four-year deal with the Orlando Magic this offseason, the Raptops needs another big man who could dominate the low post. With Okafor's low post skills, rebounding ability and defense, the Raptors could be more formidable from the inside.
According to the analysis of ESPN NBA trade machine, this would be a perfect trade considering the cap space of both teams. But according to the trade machine, it was projected that the Toronto Raptors total wins will decrease by 7 while the Philadephia 76ers will have 4 more wins.
A report from Brian Boake of Raptors Rapture says that without a transcendent player, the Raptops has a poor chance to win an NBA Championship. And from the Colangelos' perspective, Kyle Lowry is from Philly. And getting him might not be far-fetched.
Can this trade really happen?
