Report: Kyle Lowry to the Raptors and Kevin Martin to the Timberwolves are possibilities

Multiple sources have stated today that Kyle Lowry to the Toronto Raports for the 8th overall pick in the draft is “heating up.” Sources have also said the Rockets are attempting to trade Kevin Martin to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the 18th overall pick. Another rumor has Martin and Chase Budinger going to the Wolves for Derrick Williams.

If Lowry and Martin are traded i would not at all be surprised. In fact, i think by Thursday nights NBA Draft they will be gone, as well as Luis Scola.

Lowry has already made it clear he will not play for coach Kevin McHale again, despite that McHale has said repeatedly he would coach lowry next season. When Lowry went down last season it made way for Goran Dragic. Dragic took over for Lowry and actually played better than Kyle. Dragic emerging as the better player makes Lowry expendable. Toronto is a young team looking for a young experienced point guard to lead the team. They already have a team full of inexperienced players so it makes the 8th overall pick expendable. I think this deal definitely gets done before the draft. It also seems very fitting, Lowry starts making demands and the Rockets send him to a different country.

Kevin Martin had an awful year last season. McHale started to bench Martin the enitre 4th quarter of games. When Martin went down along with Lowry the Rockets started to play like a different team, a better team in fact. Martin was replaced by Courtney Lee. Lee outplayed Martin by a long shot, enough to reportedly earn a new contract with the Rockets. It has also been reported that Martin has wanted out of Houston ever since the deal David Stern nixed before the season started that had him going to the New Orleans Hornets. If Martin was traded to Minnesota he would be reunited with coach Rick Adelman, who he played for in Houston and with the Sacramento Kings. Adelman is a big supporter of Martin and it has been reported he wants Kevin on his team. Even if this trade doesn’t happen, i expect Martin to be dealt elsewhere.

It sounds like the Rockets are trying to stock up draft picks to make a deal for superstar big man Dwight Howard. But with another report coming out saying there’s “not a chance” that he returns to Houston after next season, why trade for him? I understand that if he does walk you could start the rebuilding process, but why not do that now? This is the deepest draft since 2003 when LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh came out. So why not rebuild now? I think GM Daryl Morey gets it, Owner Les Alexander not so much. Getting two or more draft picks in this years draft and pairing them with Goran Dragic, Chandler Parsons and Donatas Motiejunas who is making his way to Houston from overseas, could be a potentially great nucleus. The only way i trade for Howard is if he signs an extension. Four picks for Howard is just giving up way to much, especially in this years draft.