NBA Trade Rumors Roundup: LA Lakers in the mix for Kyle Lowry, Portland Trail Blazers linked to JaVale McGee and more - March 24th, 2021
Multiple NBA trade rumors surfaced every hour on Wednesday as we inched closer towards the March 25 deadline. The league's top guns in the LA Lakers and Brooklyn Nets were involved in the majority of the chatter. Speculation regarding Kyle Lowry's future also continued to grow as the six-time All-Star played potentially his last game for the Toronto Raptors.
The New York Knicks have been itching to make a narrative-altering trade ahead of the 3 PM ET deadline on Thursday and revisited an old target. With a plethora of deals expected to go down in the next few hours, here's the NBA trade rumors roundup for March 24.
NBA Trade Rumors: LA Lakers could be in the running for Kyle Lowry
It's almost a given at this point that Kyle Lowry will be heading to a new destination ahead of the NBA trade deadline. The 2019 NBA Champ seemed to be in an emotional mood following the Toronto Raptors' win against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday and his body language indicated that a move was on the horizon.
While the Miami Heat and the Philadelphia 76ers are the favorites in the Lowry sweepstakes, Adrian Wojnarowski added the LA Lakers' name to the mix last night. During the trade deadline special on ESPN, Woj remarked the following:
"The Raptors, Masai Ujiri, Bobby Webster, their front office, they're going to work with Kyle Lowry and his agent Mark Bartelstein on where he might like to play if they're going to do a deal. But here's one team too, Zach, that don't rule out of this one between now and Thursday's trade deadline: the Lakers."
A trio of Kyle Lowry, LeBron James and Anthony Davis would pretty much make the LA Lakers the favorites for the title once again. It'll be interesting to see if GM Rob Pelinka can put together a compelling trade package, though.
NBA Trade Rumors: Multiple teams including Portland Trail Blazers linked to JaVale McGee
JaVale McGee
Interest in veteran center JaVale McGee is spiking before the NBA trade deadline. McGee is averaging 8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game off the bench for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season. The Cavs have no intentions of keeping McGee around and he's owed just $4.2 million this year on an expiring deal.
As per Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor, multiple teams are interested in JaVale McGee. Fedor wrote:
"McGee, the 33-year-old backup center with three NBA championships, has generated interest with multiple contenders, one of which, sources say, is from the Eastern Conference. Brooklyn is a logical fit. The Boston Celtics are also said to be hunting more size. The center-needy Portland Trail Blazers have also been linked to McGee."
While the Brooklyn Nets have long been linked to JaVale McGee, the Portland Trail Blazers are worth keeping an eye on. The Blazers have a shortage of big men right now. Even if Jusuf Nurkic returns from his injury, Portland could use McGee's rim-running ability and championship pedigree in the postseason.
NBA Trade Rumors: New York Knicks reconsider move for Andre Drummond
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been unsuccessful so far in their attempts to find a trade partner for Andre Drummond, who's expected to be bought out after the trade deadline. That notion could change, though, with the New York Knicks emerging as a potential destination for the out-of-favor center.
The New York Knicks have $15 million in cap space which makes it easier for them to trade for Andre Drummond who's owed $28.7 million this year. The Knicks would only have to send $13.7 million in salaries to the Cavs to make a deal work and they have the necessary expiring deals to do so.
Also read: NBA Trade Rumors Roundup: Denver Nuggets want Harrison Barnes, George Hill a target for Philadelphia 76ers and more - March 23rd, 2021