Kyle Lowry was widely expected to be traded before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline this week.
The Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers were all viewed as serious contenders.
And yet as the trade deadline came and went, no deal materialized.
In the case of the Heat, Lowry wasn’t as much of a priority because they were already getting Victor Oladipo basically for free from the Houston Rockets. Plus, they weren’t willing to part with Tyler Herro, who was Toronto’s asking price.
Similarly, the Lakers weren’t into the idea of parting with Talen Horton-Tucker, with whom they have something of an odd relationship. Also, they’re already the defending champs, so they obviously feel less pressure to improve. All they need to do is get healthy (although that strategy isn’t looking great after today’s news).
Philly, however, is a different story. The 76ers appear to be right on the precipice of contention, but lack the veteran leadership necessary to push them over the edge.
Lowry would’ve been perfect.
In the immediate aftermath of the trade deadline, Sixers President Daryl Morey came out and explained what really happened on Thursday.
“What I’m trying to do is maximize our chance of winning the title over that (three-to-five year) window, with more weight for this year,” Morey told Rich Hofmann and Derek Bodner of The Athletic.
“So if there’s a move that ups our odds a little bit more this year, but really hurts our odds in the future, then that doesn’t make sense.”
Essentially, Morey is betting on having enough talent on the roster to win a title now. Because of that, he doesn’t want to lose young prospects that may help the organization in the future.
Is that a smart bet? Time will tell.
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