The NBA trade deadline is still a couple months away, but that hasn't stopped the rumors surrounding a number of players and after the Knicks and Raptors discussed a deal for Kyle Lowry involving Iman Shumpert and Raymond Felton that was shot down, could the Los Angeles Lakers get involved with Toronto after Steve Blake was injured?
The Lakers have been dealing with a number of injuries this season at the position with Steve Nash and Jordan Farmar and now that Blake is injured, the team could jump in on a Lowry deal now that he is available. According to ESPN.com, Blake will be out for up to six week after undergoing an MRI following the Lakers matchup with the Washington Wizards and after the Knicks and Raptors deal talks broke down, the Lakers could jump into things. The report from ESPN.com says that the Lakers are not looking to get into trade talks with teams to replace Blake, but that could change if they don't find a viable option to use.
Blake will miss the next road trip for the team and over the past 12 games Farmar has been out and Nash has also been dealing with injuries. Lowry would be a nice fit for the Lakers, but the Raptors appear to be asking for a lot for the guard, which is why the Knicks deal fell apart. According to ESPN.com, the Knicks and Raptors were talking about a deal after Felton was injured and will be out for a couple weeks, but after general manager Masai Ujiri asked for too much, including another first round pick, the Knicks and James Dolan balked.
Pro Basketball Talk reported that the Raptors asked for Raymond Felton along with possible players Iman Shumpert and Tim Hardaway Jr. as well as a first round pick. James Dolan did not want to give up that much and on top of that he was annoyed that reports were leaked to the media and that he also did not want to get "fleeced" by Ujiri, as many said that the Nuggets did that in the Carmelo Anthony deal two years ago.
The Brooklyn Nets were mentioned as a possible landing spot for Lowry to help with Deron Williams' ankle issues, but the team did not want to give up a 2020 first-round pick as well as rookie Mason Plumlee. The Raptors have been dealing this season with Rudy Gay going to the Sacramento Kings and there is a good chance that the team could also deal DeMar DeRozan as well as other players as Ujiri works on rebuilding the team. The Lakers have been off to a solid start, but without a solid PG on their next road trip, it could be tough to play consistently and the team comes in with a 10-11 record and they have been thrilled to get Kobe Bryant back. The Lakers have been off to a better start than last season and after losing Blake they will need to figure out a way to get around the injuries.
