Examining a potential Detroit Pistons trade for Kyle Lowry

The ties between the Detroit Pistons and Kyle Lowry are real. Recently, Zach Lowe said it’s a fit on the trade market so let’s dive into the possibility.

Kyle Lowry is a veteran, game-changing point guard with ties to the Detroit Pistons and trade rumors have sparked mentioning the two once again.

On Friday’s Lowe Post Podcast, ESPN’s Zach Lowe mentioned the possibility of the Pistons acquiring the 33-year-old guard. It prompted Adrian Wojnarowski to mention NBA scouts believe the one-year, $31 million extension for Lowry and the Toronto Raptors is being used as a bargaining chip to add value for potential trades.

That puts Lowry in the loaded 2021 free agent class, offering teams an opportunity to add a contending piece that also helps the salary cap situation to clear a maximum salary spot. That will attract several contending teams the need a boost to their lineups.

Detroit has the trade capital in expiring contracts, including unrestricted free agents Reggie Jackson and Langston Galloway. It also has Dwane Casey as its head coach. Casey turned Lowry into one of the top scorers in the league in his time with the Raptors.

Lowry’s status in Toronto is uncertain. The defending champions have taken a step back after losing Kawhi Leonard in free agency to the Los Angeles Clippers. But they have a strong core with a mix of youth with Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet, among others, and veterans in Marc Gasol and Lowry.

Toronto’s main focus coming in should be to compete to start the season. Should things go awry, the Raptors could look to move Lowry for cap space or draft capital. Both are valuable to a team with a young core, though they’ll need to retain VanVleet and Siakam as restricted free agents.

Gasol is on an expiring contract and could also become a trade chip. Toronto’s safety net to go young makes them a player the closer the trade deadline nears and by trading Lowry and Gasol would free up cap space to make a play for another restricted free agent off another team, should they choose to build a young core of three together.

In one of the later segments of the podcast, Lowe and Wojnarowski discuss how the restricted free agent market could be the biggest thing to watch in 2020’s free agency. Teams like the Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies and, presumably, the Raptors could offer more than contending teams for a restricted free agent forcing the contending team to not match their contract.

All that being said, let’s take a look at what Lowry has to offer the Pistons, or another team, at 33-years-old.