There is plenty of uncertainty as the NBA draft approaches, but one common expectation: It should be a wild night kicking off a tumultuous off-season. The question for Toronto basketball fans is how much of the volatility will affect the Raptors and their efforts to re-sign free-agent point guard Kyle Lowry.
With LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony opting out of their contracts, and with seven teams possessing multiple first-round picks, most NBA sources I spoke with are expecting plenty of trade rumours and quite likely several actual moves.
For the Raptors it will be a nervous time as Lowry could be the target of teams looking to fill out a roster around Anthony or James, or he could be targeted by teams with cap space who failed to land either of the marquee free agents.
It could have some impact on the Raptors’ thinking when they pick 20th overall, a range in which Brampton point guard Tyler Ennis could be available. The Raptors have never picked a Canadian before and they like Ennis. But if they are confident they can bring back both Lowry and restricted free agent Greivis Vasquez, having a hometown kid sit on the bench might not be an ideal situation. Similarly it’s thought that Ennis would prefer to go to a team where he could at least expect to get significant back-up minutes.
The Raptors aren’t allowed to officially begin negotiations with their point guards until July 1, but discussions about the parameters of a deal always take place well before the free-agency window opens, and Raptors GM Masai Ujiri has remained steadfast in his intention to re-sign Lowry. For his part, Lowry couldn’t have been more effusive about his experience in Toronto this past season, or his feelings about his teammates and the organization.
But things can get twisted quickly.
The NBA trade market got started Wednesday when the New York Knicks and Dallas Maverick swung a deal centred around Jose Calderon and Tyson Chandler, but a move that raised more eyebrows was the Houston Rockets sending Omer Asik to the New Orleans Pelicans for a first-round pick.
The deal instantly gave the Rockets the cap space to potentially add the likes of James or Carmelo Anthony alongside Dwight Howard and James Harden. But if they can’t get that done league sources say the the team has interest in a sign-and-trade involving Lowry and Jeremy Lin, with a draft pick as a sweetener.
The stumbling block would be how much the Rockets would be willing to pay Lowry, whose asking price is thought to be in the $12-million-per-year range. As well, while GM Daryl Morey is a Lowry fan, there remains the fact that head coach Kevin McHale wanted Lowry out of Houston in his first go-round with the team after too many heated confrontations.
Another team the Raptors have to keep an eye on is the Lakers. They’ve got loads of cap room and are thought to be angling to land both Anthony and James alongside Kobe Bryant.
But league sources suggest that it’s unlikely the Lakers would turn to Lowry if their efforts fell through as their next option would be to keep their cap space until next summer and take another run at landing a franchise player—Kevin Durant or Kevin Love for example—for 2015–16.
Elsewhere the expectation is that Thornhill’s Andrew Wiggins will be taken first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers, although the Utah Jazz are determined to make a run at the top pick by packaging their No. 5 selection and perhaps centre Derrick Favors and other pieces. If the Cavs bite, the Jazz would likely take Jabari Parker, a Mormon, first overall.
Another rumour making the rounds prior to the draft was that the Cleveland Cavaliers are thinking about trading Canadian power forward Tristan Thompson. They have a crowded frontcourt and concerns about being able to pay Thompson, who is aiming at a contract in the four-year, $50-million range on an extension he is eligible to sign this summer.
Would the Raptors be interested? He has plenty of fans in the organization but the challenge is that the Raptors will be trying to come to terms on an extension with Jonas Valanciunas next summer and would be unlikely to absorb another young big with a payday looming.