NBA Rumors: Kyle Lowry Could Form Clippers’ ‘Big Three’ With Kawhi Leonard & Paul George This Summer
The successful acquisition of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George last summer has managed to turn the Los Angeles Clippers from a mediocre team to a legitimate title contender in the deep Western Conference. Though they don’t currently own the best record, the Clippers are considered as the heavy favorite to bring home the Larry O’Brien Trophy in the 2019-20 NBA season. Despite having one of the most talented and deepest rosters in the league, however, the Clippers are still not expected to be quiet on the trade market this summer, especially if they are presented the opportunity to form their own “Big Three” with Leonard and George.
In his recent article, Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report created a list of one “course-changing trade” every team could make in the 2020 NBA offseason. For the Clippers, Swartz suggested they could engage in a blockbuster deal with the Toronto Raptors to acquire Kyle Lowry. In the proposed deal, the Clippers would be sending a trade package that included Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley, Ivica Zubac, and Rodney McGruder to the Raptors in exchange for Lowry.
“The Clippers sacrifice depth for star power here, adding Lowry to make a Big Three with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George,” Swartz wrote. “Lowry has the playoff and championship experience the Clippers need, and the veteran point guard instantly becomes the best passer on the team. The chemistry with Leonard is already there, and the addition of Lowry pushes all of L.A.’s title-hope chips to the middle of the table.”
Lowry may already be 34, but he still has plenty of gas left in his tank and could still play at a high level on the big stage. This season, the veteran point guard continued to show an impressive performance on both ends of the floor, averaging 19.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from beyond the arc. Lowry may not have shown any indication that he already wants out of Toronto, but he would definitely be intrigued by the idea of reuniting with Leonard and chasing their second championship title together.
If the trade becomes a reality, Swartz believed that it would not only benefit the Clippers, but also the Raptors, especially if Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, and Fred VanVleet left in the 2020 NBA free agency. The potential deal would enable Toronto to add three starting-caliber players in Williams, Beverley, and Zubac that could help Pascal Siakam keep the team competitive in the 2020-21 NBA season. Williams and Beverley could serve as the Raptors’ new starting backcourt, while Zubac would be an immediate replacement for Gasol at the starting center position.
