Are we about to witness another basketball divorce akin to the Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook drama in the Oklahoma City Thunder? Is Kyle Lowry gearing up to create a superteam alongside Isaiah Thomas and Marcus Smart in the Boston Celtics, leaving DeMar DeRozan to fend for the Toronto Raptors alone?
Although the 2017 NBA games are still heating up, the basketball world could not help but fear the impending 2018 free agency. Generally, the front offices opt for an NBA trade instead of waiting for their valuable stars to walk away for free. This means that a lot of huge deals could be announced in the next weeks. Will a Kyle Lowry contract with the Boston Celtics be one of the blockbuster deals this year?
The Toronto Raptors secured a four-year Kyle Lowry contract in 2014 at $48 million plus $48,000 guaranteed money. This puts his annual salary at roughly $12 million. However, the salary cap is set to increase soon which puts the All-Star at an advantageous position since he'd be hitting free agency by 2018.
Given the Toronto Raptors star's outstanding performances in the 2016 Rio Olympics and NBA All-Star 2017 games, it comes as no surprises that a number of teams are eyeing a Kyle Lowry contract. Despite his friendly relationship with DeMar DeRozan, rumors are rife that the need to get a ring soon weighs heavily in his mind. Among the basketball teams ready to give him a lucrative deal, it appears that Kyle Lowry finds the Boston Celtics as the best landing spot.
At this point, the Boston Celtics are comfortably at second place in the Eastern Conference with the Cleveland Cavaliers only at arm's reach away. Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors slid fourth place behind the Washington Wizards. If a Kyle Lowry contract does get signed soon, then the LeBron James squad faces an even more formidable opponent as kings of the division.
To date, no official comment has been given by any of the parties concerned. However, Danny Ainge of the Boston Celtics has been openly talking about his desire to sign more superstars in his team. While the exec admitted that they are careful not to make a "bad" deal, fans believe that a Kyle Lowry contract definitely doesn't qualify as one.
"I want to do a deal. But it's my job to oversee the Celtics and not do what makes me look really good and do something that's instant gratification. It's like we're trying to build something. It's a big responsibility, and I take it very seriously. ... If anybody knows the Celtics right now, they know we're not afraid to make deals. But we don't want to make bad deals." said Danny Ainge of the Boston Celtics' plans regarding NBA trade deals.
What do you think? Should the Boston Celtics go all out for a Kyle Lowry contract? Is it time for the Toronto Raptors to consider a rebuild and concentrate solely on DeMar DeRozan? Will Isaiah Thomas and Marcus be better off with Kyle Lowry?
