New York Knicks Pushing for Kyle Lowry Trade

Because they are the Knicks, there’s talk of them giving up yet another first round pick in order to complete a trade. According to Yahoo! Sports, New York and the Toronto Raptors are negotiating a deal that could involve Kyle Lowry in exchange for Raymond Felton, Metta World Peace and a 2018 first-round draft pick: “The Knicks refused a Raptors proposal that would’ve included Iman Shumpert and Felton, sources said. Without a first-round pick or Shumpert, there is no traction for a deal. The Knicks have no appetite for including Shumpert or rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. in a package. Knicks owner Jim Dolan is sensitive to the public perception that Toronto general manger Masai Ujiri bamboozled New York in the Carmelo Anthony trade, and the chance of getting panned for giving up too much in a deal for Lowry has become a hurdle in these talks, league sources said. Ujiri was the GM of the Denver Nuggets when he negotiated a deal that included Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Felton and Timofey Mozgov for a package that included Anthony, Chauncey Billups and a first-round draft pick. Toronto is discussing deals for Lowry with an ever-growing list of teams, league sources said. Several teams are pursuing Lowry, but the Knicks’ most direct competition for him could come from the Brooklyn Nets, who are also exploring the possibility of a deal, league sources said. Brooklyn has resisted the inclusion of its 2020 first-round pick in a package, nor one of its top young players, including rookie Mason Plumlee, sources said. Within the Knicks, there’s hesitance on including the draft pick, but there’s no chance a deal for Lowry could get done without it, sources said. Nevertheless, there’s still doubt on how long New York will keep a pick on the table, sources said. Toronto officials have been scouting and calling European contacts on Bojan Bogdanovic, a 24-year-old shooting guard with whom the Nets own the rights, league sources said.”