Masai Ujiri is working the phones yet again, folks. After sending Rudy Gay and others to the Sacramento Kings last week, the Toronto Raptors general manager is not finished making transactions. Today, it has been reported that the Raptors are now looking to move Kyle Lowry in a trade, and the New York Knicks have emerged as the frontrunners to receive the starting point guard.
While centered around moving Lowry to the Big Apple, the deal was first rumored to be sending Metta World Peace, Raymond Felton, and a 2018 first round draft pick to Toronto in exchange for the point guard (and some smaller pieces to keep the roster size at 15 players). Now, it seems as if the trade talks have progressed and Masai Ujiri is looking to acquire more young prospects for the present— since the Knicks have no first round picks to let go of early than the aforementioned one.
Note: Knicks have three 1st-round picks that are trade-eligible right now, per NBA rules: 2018, 2019, 2020.
— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) December 12, 2013
Tough situation for Knicks: With no first-round pick to add, NYK could be confronted w/unsavory option of putting Tim Hardaway Jr. in deal
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) December 12, 2013
The ambitious Toronto GM appears to be taking advantage of the desperate situation that the Knicks are currently in. Supposedly, what has slowed the trade offer from going through has been Ujiri’s goal of prying two of the following three things away from New York: Tim Hardaway Jr., Iman Shumpert, and the first round pick.
Raptors Cage will keep you posted when more news is known.
