The Toronto Raptors reportedly are looking to trade into the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft, and they’re apparently willing to explore all possibilities in their quest to obtain a high pick.
Marc Stein of the New York Times tweeted the latest update on the Raptors’ quest for a first-round draft pick, which they want to use on Kentucky star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
What could the Raptors give up for such a pick? Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune reports Toronto point guard Kyle Lowry certainly is available.
Lowry, who’s 32 years old, averaged just 16.2 points per game last season — his lowest scoring average since the 2012-13 season. He’s clearly on the downside of his career and still has two more years left on a contract that pays him an average of about $32 million per season. That’s not a team-friendly deal, to say the least.
The Raptors and Miami Heat are the only two teams without a single pick ahead of Thursday night’s draft. They don’t really have any great assets in terms of players, either, besides 2017 first-round pick OG Anunoby. Star guard DeMar DeRozan, like Lowry, is on an expensive contract and fails to perform at a high level in the playoffs, and veteran forward Serge Ibaka’s best days clearly are behind him.
If the Raptors seriously want to trade up high enough to get Gilgeous-Alexander, they might have to get creative and bold to do it.
