Philadelphia 76ers: The pros and cons of a Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade

With less than a dozen games left to play in the 2021 NBA regular season, the Philadelphia 76ers‘ roster is effectively set.

Sure, they still have one move left to make, as Anthony Tolliver‘s second 10-day contract will be up on May 2nd, and the team will have to either sign him for the rest of the year or go after another veteran to full out their 15th and final roster spot – maybe Rayjon Tucker? – but that isn’t particularly relevant, as players signed after April 9th aren’t eligible to play in the postseason, so who really cares.

With that being said, teams are always keeping tabs on potential offseason moves if for no other reason than to contextualize their evaluations moving forward, and sometimes, those internal discussions leak to the media for one reason or another.

On an unsuspecting Wednesday afternoon, fans were greeted by such a leak, as The Athletic’s Sam Amick tucked a little nugget into his “NBA Free Agency Ranking” column (subscription required) about your friendly neighborhood Philadelphia 76ers intending to pursue a sign-and-trade for Kyle Lowry this offseason after failing to land the local Villanova product at the deadline.

To quote Michael Corleone/Al “Dunk” Pacino, “just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.”

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On paper, the Philadelphia 76ers have a pretty solid collection of point guards.

They have a super-sized positionless wonder in Ben Simmons, a veteran floor general in George Hill, a sixth-man spark plug who can score from anywhere, and Tyrese Maxey, the 20-year-old floater king who has really started to develop his game as the season has gone on.

After suffering along with Josh Richardson and Raul Neto, who were forced into serious action as primary ballhandlers down the stretch last season, Doc Rivers’ current point guard rotation is better than anything Brett Brown was afforded over his seven-year tenure with the team, and it shows on the win-loss column, as the Sixers currently have the best win percentage (65.6) since the 1985-86 season.

Still, when Simmons was out for a week with a viral illness, the Sixers found themselves struggling at both ends of the court and suffered four straight losses as a result.

Now granted, some of that has to do with Simmons’ masterful defensive efforts and uncanny ability to disrupt both passes and shots both on the ball and off it. The Sixers have to rely a whole lot more on Matisse Thybulle than when their best defender is out, but even then, it’s hard to remain offensively competitive due to his 3.8 average points per game. Even if the 76ers are as enamored with their current rotation, it wouldn’t be the worst idea to add another ball-handler who can compliment Embiid and Simmons at both ends of the court.

That’s why rumors about Kyle Lowry just won’t go away; he’s just that dude.

Yes, Kyle Lowry is short. He’s also old, declining, and will surely cost a lot to acquire both financially and from a capital standpoint, but it’s unquestionable that Lowry would make the 76ers a better team in 2021-2022. Whether starting at the one or kicked over to the two, Lowry has experience playing alongside other point guards, has experience playing with dynamic bigs, and once even took part in the NBA 3-point shooting contest because of his outside marksmanship.

However, players like Lowry don’t come for free, and surely a GM as savvy as Masai Ujiri is going to find a way to squeeze every last bit of value out of his long-time point guard before he leaves the “Jurassic Park” for the good old US of A.

Assuming Lowry still wants a three-year extension worth roughly $25 million a year – a figure that was reported around the deadline – that would require the Sixers to at minimum trade some combination of Hill, Seth Curry, and Danny Green (sign-and-trade) to get a deal done financially. Granted, I doubt Green would accept a new contract only to be traded to a 26 win team moments later, even if it’s a slight pay bump from his current $15 million AAV, there are a few routes to get the deal done without having to surrender more than two role players.

Theoretically, that would be a win. While I liked Curry, Green, and Hill in that order, none are in the same realm as Lowry, even if 16.7 ppg is his new norm, not a statistical anomaly.

But what else could Ujiri require for Lowry’s services? Would he request a 2021 first-round pick? Isaiah Joe? Maxey? Because the Sixers are well over the cap, the only way they can sign Lowry this offseason is via a sign-and-trade – assuming he won’t take a vet minimum deal (he won’t) – so they really don’t have much room to haggle, especially if another team gets in on the bidding.

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So, should the Philadelphia 76ers get in on a Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade this offseason? Honestly, it entirely depends on the asking price. If Daryl Morey can land Lowry for the price of Green, Hill, and a first-round pick, that’s a whole lot easier to stomach than Curry, Maxey, Green, and a first, or the multiple-first rounders the Raptors were eyeing at the deadline. If not, well, they may have to turn their attention to landing a more financially reasonable upgrade as they attempt to reload upon season’s end. Unfortunately, the ball is pretty much solely in Masai Ujiri’s court on this one.