The Los Angeles Lakers are in trade rumors every single season, with this one being no different. However, they may only add to their roster through the buyout market, as they cannot trade a first-round pick in any year until 2027 due to their extensive trade made to the Pelicans for Anthony Davis. One of those main buyout-qualified players is Andre Drummond, who the Lakers have been connected to many times. However, they have just been connected to a very surprising trade candidate, and that is the Raptors’ Kyle Lowry.
Check out what Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN had to say on ESPN’s trade deadline TV special with fellow reporter Zach Lowe.
“Here’s one team too, Zach, that you don’t rule out between now and Thursday’s trade deadline — the Lakers”
Woj says to not rule out the Lakers trading for Kyle Lowry pic.twitter.com/NyFHlBDV8V
— Donny (@donny_mchenry) March 24, 2021
The speculation from Wojnarowski is surprising, as many assumed the Lakers would not be able to trade for a big franchise star such as Kyle Lowry due to the low availability of their first-round picks. Combine that with the fact that the Lakers would have to find a way to match salaries with Lowry’s $30 million base salary this season, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a more surprising report connecting a team and a player.
Even though Kyle Lowry will be a 35-year old free agent this summer, his services will definitely be sought after throughout the league (Wojnarowski says the 76ers and the Heat are pursuing Lowry). The Lakers definitely don’t have the draft capital, but to just fulfill the minimum of making salaries work they would probably have to trade Dennis Schröder ($15.5 million salary) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($12.0 million salary), who has reportedly already been included in trades. Schröder will also be a free agent this offseason, as the Raptors may be fine with getting a young talented point-guard such as Schröder to replace Lowry in the short-term as well as the long-term.
We’ll have to see if any more reports come out on this. However, it would probably be foolish to say that the Lakers are anywhere near the most likely team to land Kyle Lowry.
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