From the start of the 2019-20 NBA season, the Los Angeles Clippers , sans Paul George, immediately made their presence felt with back-to-back victories over two Western Conference powerhouse teams – the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors. Once George fully recovers from his injury and immediately regains his All-Star, most people believe that the Clippers will be almost unstoppable on both ends of the floor. However, despite having one of the most talented rosters in the league, it’s still not hard to see the Clippers seeking upgrades before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline.
It may look like that the Clippers don’t need any help in the regular season but in the postseason where games are more important, having more superstars would give them a bigger advantage in fully dominating the Western Conference and winning the NBA championship title this season. In his recent article, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report gave a list of names of players that every NBA team could target before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline. For the Clippers, Buckley believes that Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors would be the “ideal trade target.”
“While Lowry is a five-time All-Star, he’s best utilized as a sidekick to bigger stars. He just won a ring alongside Kawhi Leonard in Toronto, and Lowry would be an embarrassment of riches with Leonard and George in tow. Lowry dominates defensively (third among point guards last season in defensive real plus-minus), shines as a spot-up sniper (career 36.7 percent from deep) and finds shots for himself and his teammates (career 16.6 points and 7.0 assists per 36 minutes). While Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams and Landry Shamet all fill critical backcourt needs, none offers the across-the-board impact Lowry would make.”
Though he’s already 33-years-old, Kyle Lowry would still be an upgrade for Patrick Beverley at the point guard position. Lowry is not only an incredible defender, but he is also a very reliable option on the offensive end of the floor. Lowry would give the Clippers a floor general who is very familiar with playoff pressure and has championship experience. With the presence of his former Raptors teammate Kawhi Leonard, Lowry won’t have a hard time making himself comfortable in Los Angeles.
As of now, the Raptors are yet to make Kyle Lowry officially available on the trading block. However, since the departure of Kawhi Leonard, most people are predicting that the Raptors will be trading their veterans before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline and undergo a rebuilding process. Once the Raptors struggle in the 2019-20 NBA season, expect rumors surrounding Lowry to heat up.
