The Jump: “The Heat and Sixers are leaders in the clubhouse for Kyle Lowry. He wants assurances for which ever team he goes to” – MacMullan #NBA #NBATwitter #TheJump #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/ueWa8wXTn3
NBA Rumor: Kyle Lowry to Sixers?
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Raptors discussing Kyle Lowry, Norman Powell trades with multiple teams; Heat, Sixers showing restraint on Lowry offers
Kyle Lowry wants indication from whoever trades for him that they'll give him max extension
The Sixers and Miami Heat are having talks with the Toronto Raptors to acquire the six-time All-Star point guard in a trade. However, Lowry, 34, wants some indication that a potential destination is willing to give him a two-year extension at a minimum $25 million a year, according to sources. He’s making $30 million in the final year of his Raptors deal.
Sixers not willing to part with Matisse Thybulle
The Raptors would like Sixers rookie guard Tyrese Maxey or second-year shooting guard Matisse Thybulle included in a package for Lowry. However, a league source said the Sixers aren’t willing to part ways with Thybulle, one of the league’s best young defenders.
A league executive thinks a package of Danny Green, Tony Bradley, Mike Scott, Maxey and a draft pick could get the deal done if Toronto can create available roster spots to match up salaries. Green, Bradley, and Scott are all in the final year of their deals. So the Sixers would basically be giving up Maxey and a draft pick. There’s a report that the Sixers are willing to include a first-round pick.
76ers willing to make Tyrese Maxey available for Kyle Lowry trade
The 76ers remain interested in acquiring Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, and rookie guard Tyrese Maxey is among the assets available as part of a trade package, league sources told HoopsHype. Maxey has shown flashes of potential, including a 39-point game in January against the Nuggets.
Philadelphia has also received calls on standout defender Matisse Thybulle from several teams around the league, sources told HoopsHype. Some general managers across the league believe the inclusion of Thybulle in a trade offer could swing the bidding for Lowry’s services, but the 76ers are reluctant to part with him.
Sirius XM NBA: “I wanted (@klow7) to go to Philly, I’ve told him to go back home.” -@Randy Foye on what he’s told his former @NovaMBB teammate
Marc Stein: Among the many questions post-trade: How does the Boston/Philly deal impact Kyle Lowry’s July? The Sixers are obviously no longer an option.
Sources have said the North Philly native has been interested in playing for the Sixers for some time. The speculation only heightened once Bryan Colangelo became the president of basketball operations in April 2016. As the Raptors general manager, Colangelo acquired Lowry in a trade from the Houston Rockets on July 11, 2012. The two have remained good friends since then.
Appearing on the 97.5 Midday Show, ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst continued to stoke the Lowry to Philly fire, calling the scenario “in play” (h/t Liberty Ballers): I think it’s in play. I think the Sixers are interested, I would think it would take a max-level contract. I don’t know how Bryan Colangelo feels about paying a 31-year-old a max-level contract, and they’ve also declared that Ben Simmons is going to be their guy. That could be a marriage where you bring Ben along with Kyle, and then by the time Kyle is ready to transition to a more backup role, maybe Ben could be ready, or maybe they want to go with Ben right away. That’s things they haven’t made public yet and I understand why they haven’t.
Play hardball with Lowry, and he might leave — just like Al Horford bolted Atlanta after the Hawks haggled over that dicey fifth season. Lowry’s a prickly, proud dude, and he will have suitors — including his hometown Sixers. He signed what turned out to be a wildly below-market contract in 2014, and he (justifiably) wants to be paid as a franchise guy. He led the sad-sack Raptors out of the sullen Andrea Bargnani era, to places where they had never been.
Lowry has not been definitive in discussing his impending free agency—at the All-Star game, he would only say that staying in Toronto, “would be an option.” The wrist injury that will keep him out for the rest of the regular season is a tough blow, especially because the Raptors’ future prospects will be part of Lowry’s free-agent decision. If the team stumbles in the early portion of the postseason, Lowry would be more willing to sacrifice the financial advantage the Raptors can offer to explore the market. Lowry was very interested in signing with the Lakers in 2014, but was scared off by the lack of a direction in L.A. That’s changed, and even with D’Angelo Russell in place, Lowry is expected to be a Laker target. Lowry’s hometown Sixers, badly in need of a point guard, figure to be in the mix, too. An outside contender: the Nuggets, who are expected to be aggressive in free agency this summer.
April 19, 2021 | 8:10 am EDT Update
Mike James to Brooklyn
Chema de Lucas: Mike James will play with the Brooklyn Nets until the end of the season. Immediate incorporation. Nets interest in the CSKA Moscow player was first reported by @Eurohoopsnet.
Reigning EuroLeague scoring champion Mike James has emerged as a candidate to sign with the Brooklyn Nets, Eurohoops has learned via a source. James was suspended indefinitely by CSKA Moscow in late March following an incident with team head coach Dimitris Itoudis and has headed back to his native United States. UPDATE: He will join the Nets, according to Chema de Lucas.
Raptors sign Yuta Watanabe to standard NBA contract
The Toronto Raptors announced Monday they have signed forward Yuta Watanabe (YOU-tuh wah-tuh-NAH-bay) to a standard NBA contract. Per team policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Watanabe, 6-foot-9, 205 pounds, is averaging 4.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 13.4 minutes in 39 games (one start) as a two-way player with the Raptors this season. He is shooting .448 (56-125) from the field, including .400 (24-40) from three-point range, and has scored in double figures six times. Watanabe recorded a career-high 21 points Apr. 16 vs. Orlando.
Hasheem Thabeet is looking to make an NBA comeback, his agent Jerry Dianis told me on Saturday. The 7’3″ big-man just won MVP honors while playing in Taiwan for the Hsinchu JKO Lioneers. “Bottom line Hasheem Thabeet was given a opportunity, and he killed it,” Dianis told me. “MVP performance with career highs in points, rebounds, minutes played, assists and steals. Thabeet averaged 18.3 points, 14.3 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game.
To gauge who are the top international players, HoopsHype polled 15 NBA talent evaluators, including 10executives and five scouts. Each talent evaluator was asked to list his top five international players. The criteria included any player pro player not in the NBA right now. Some of the talent evaluators prioritized former NBA players and older veterans who are having an immediate impact on their team overseas. Others placed a higher value on younger prospects who are likely to come to the NBA in upcoming drafts. 1. Nikola Mirotic (Barcelona): The 30-year-old forward is shooting an astounding 59.7 percent from the field and 47.2 percent from beyond the arc while scoring 15.9 points per game. “He’s the guy that’s been most productive in the NBA, and someone you can put in an NBA game right now if you had to,” one NBA executive told HoopsHype.
2. Josh Giddey (Adelaide 36ers): “He has great size and excellent court vision,” an NBAexecutive told HoopsHype. “He sees the floor so well, and he’s probably too unselfish at times. His shooting will need a lot of work. He needs to become a consistent threat from three and he needs to improve at the line, but he’s playing in a tough league at a young age and he’s having success.”
3. Vasilije Micic (Anadolu Efes): The 6-foot-5 Serbian guard has his draft rights retained currently by the Thunder. While some have speculated he could make the jump to the NBA, his agent, Misko Raznatovic, denied having talks with any clubs for next season at this time. Still, Micic has drawn the attention of NBA teams with his play. “He’s almost an elite passer,” one NBAscout told HoopsHype. “He’s a good shooter, both on and off the dribble. He’s not athletic but has enough strength after his first step to get at the rim once he gets a runway. He’s very smart. His basketball IQ is off the charts.”
