Tuesday brings us another day closer to the NBA's trade deadline, and another day closer to answers about the statuses of Kyle Lowry and Norm Powell.
Will they be traded? Re-signed? NBA Insider Shams Charania joined Good Show Tuesday morning to discuss his latest thoughts on how the Raptors might approach these next few days ahead of Thursday's 3 p.m. ET deadline.
For Norman Powell, the biggest question for teams right now isn't necessarily whether they can afford to trade for him, but rather whether they'll be able to keep him in free agency.
"Teams know he is playing at an exceptional level right now," Charania said Tuesday.
In the case of Lowry, all talks will be done hand-in-hand with the Raptors veteran with "a level of trust on both sides" to make sure that if he is in fact departing, he's going to a desirable destination.
"They will work with him to figure out what makes sense," he said. "Miami, Philly -- those are teams that I think they understand are preferred destinations for Kyle Lowry, and spots that makes sense."
Here are some more excerpts from Tuesday's conversation, as it pertains to Powell and Lowry:
On the trade market for Powell:
"I think you're going to see a variety of teams interested in a guy like Norm Powell.
"For Toronto, it'll just be about what makes the most sense: Is it getting a guy back? A young player that helps you? Is it getting back a guy ... like a Spencer Dinwiddie in Brooklyn -- someone that you might want to re-sign over the summer, you're able to bring him in now ... and then look to re-sign him in the off-season because you feel like he might be a better fit next to Fred VanVleet.
"I think those are really the discussions. But I'm sure you'll see a multitude of teams, whether it's Dallas, a New Orleans, a Boston, New York, Brooklyn. So, I think all those teams are gonna be involved here."
On what Powell's next contract could look like:
"I think you could probably look at $18-, $20-million [per year], I would imagine would be his type of range as far as his hope for a deal. I mean, he's played at an exceptional level. He might be using Fred [VanVleet]'s deal [four years, $85 million; $21.25M per year] as a leverage point, [Indiana Pacers point guard] Malcolm Brogdon [another four-year, $85M], guys like that -- guys who have played to that level, averaging 19-ish points a game, three or four rebounds, three or four assists. I would look, really, at those two figures as a basis. Now, can you get that in this market? I think that remains to be seen."
On the likelihood we'll see Powell and/or Lowry moved by Thursday:
"I think if you talk to teams around the league ... you're treating Norm Powell like he's one of your players and you're gonna find the best deal possible and likely move on something. Whereas Kyle Lowry, there is a little bit more sensitivity around it. There is a little bit more of a trust factor on both sides.
"The Raptors have a history of working with their guys, of being pretty open with their players. I do believe that Lowry is treated with a different level of sensitivity."
"(#Raptors) are in open dialogues on Lowry. The 2 teams that are the leaders from what I’m told, MIA & PHI, they've put in offers but as of right now neither is strong enough, neither is really appealing."@ShamsCharania w/ @SportsnetBen & @JDBunkis.https://t.co/XF2PjCxJao
— Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) March 23, 2021
On what Lowry's trade market looks like right now:
"The two teams that are the leaders, Philadelphia and Miami from what I'm told, they've put in offers. But as of right now, neither is strong enough, neither is really appealing to Toronto. [The Raptors] have made it clear that unless there's an offer that blows them away, that is by their standards a crazy offer ... to move a guy like [Lowry] it will take a big offer, and so for them it's about, at the deadline do they take the best available deal if it meets most of the criteria that they have? Or, do they let it end organically in the second half of the season? But I think overall, if you're able to get assets in the form of draft picks, young players, that's all important."
On what a return might look like in a Lowry trade:
"Whether it's expiring contracts, draft picks, that's an easy deal to make if you're the other team. But if that's not appealing to the Raptors, who might be trying to get maybe a young player or two young players as well as draft picks, I think that is kind of the push and pull you're gonna see between now and Thursday. I do believe this will be more of a closer-to-Thursday type of transaction, if anything, because the Raptors still aren't moving at that level of urgency because they're not really in a position where they have to do something.
"I don't think teams have put forth their best offers yet."
