The Lakers Have Interest In A Six-Time All-Star

by Antonio Valle

According to a report from USA Today’s Jeff Zillgit, the Lakers are eyeing Kyle Lowry. Lowry’s current contract is worth $28.3 million, and the Miami Heat could be looking to unload that contract to create some cap space for the upcoming off-season since he will be making $29.6 million next year.

Lowry’s name has been connected to the Lakers in the past. During the 2020-2021 season, Jovan Buha and Bill Oram of The Athletic reported that the Lakers and Raptors discussed a trade that would have sent Dennis Schroder, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and some draft picks in return for Kyle Lowry. Rob Pelinka’s reluctance to trade Talen Horton-Tucker, now in Utah, and Caldwell-Pope in Denver.

Lowry is a really good point guard and has had success in the league. He is a six-time NBA All-Star, an NBA Champion, and a member of the 2016 Gold Medal U.S. men’s national team.

Where would Kyle Lowry fit with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook on the roster? Lowry’s scoring production has dropped every year since the 2019-2020 season, and he is now only averaging 12.6 points per game when Westbrook is averaging 15.8 points per game this season off the bench. Lowry is also a much older point guard, which would slow down the tempo of this team because the Lakers love to run on the fast break.

In the same report by Jeff Zillgit, he also stated that the Lakers are interested in Fred VanVleet. He currently has a player option set for next season at $22.8 million, and the Raptors may look to unload that contract to acquire some draft compensation meaning that the Toronto Raptors could be in a rebuild.

VanVleet is expected to sign with Klutch Sports, according to Marc Stein. Klutch Sports is run by Rich Paul, LeBron's friend, and agent.

Regarding the rumors on Lowry and VanVleet, it is unclear at this moment what it would take to acquire them. After the Hachimura trade, it is unknown if LA will make another move.

With the February 9th trade deadline fast approaching, some moves will also be made in the buyout market. The Lakers currently have 14 roster spots occupied, meaning that one spot is still up for grabs after Sterling Brown’s 10-day contract expired.

The trade deadline is just a few weeks away, and the rumor mill for the NBA is starting to heat up. There is another trade package that the Lakers have shown interest in as well.

The Lakers made a move for Hachimura, will they make another?

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