With the Toronto Raptors not quite living up to expectations this season, there’s been much speculation about Kyle Lowry‘s future north of the border, including a potential deal to his hometown Philadelphia 76ers.
However, the Raptors will not be moving their franchise player ahead of the March 25 trade deadline, according to Michael Grange of SportsNet.
“He has clearly not told anybody that he wants out of Toronto,” Lowry’s agent Mark Bartelstein said. “Masai and Bobby and I talk all the time. You can never put anything in concrete in this business, things change, but there is literally nothing to all this chatter about Kyle wanting out or telling his team he wants to go there. That’s just not true.”
More East Notes
- Marcus Smart has been cleared to return for Thursday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. Smart has been out since January 30 due to a calf strain.
- While Blake Griffin isn’t the player he was once was, he should still be able to help the Nets in many ways. “Blake makes them even more dynamic offensively because he’s a guy they can give the ball to and run off-ball stuff for their Big Three because of his passing,” one rival scout told Bleacher Report.
- The Miami Heat entered the All-Star break with an 18-18 record after a very poor start to the season. Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald talks about what the Heat need to do to continue their rise in the standings.
