When Kyle Lowry was traded two summers ago, he seemed unlikely to ever be back in a Rockets jersey. He had battled with his coach, stewed on the bench, and requested a trade before finally being sent to Toronto, but the Rockets appear willing to take him back as they are making their first free agency trip.
Here's what Adrian Wojnarowski has to say:
Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey has traveled to Philadelphia to meet with free agent guard Kyle Lowry tonight, league source tells Yahoo.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 1, 2014
Lowry is a priority for the Rockets, who will first make a run at Carmelo Anthony (and LeBron James).
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 1, 2014
Lowry is a bulldog and would be a tremendous fit for the Rockets with his combination of defense and shooting, but there are a number of barriers that would need to be overcome to see him come back to the Rockets. Firstly, Lowry famously feuded with Coach Kevin McHale before his trade to Toronto. With McHale still roaming the sidelines, would Lowry be comfortable coming back to the team?
Even if he were, could the Rockets make an offer big enough to entice him? The Raptors have reportedly made an offer to him that starts at $12 million, and the Rockets would likely have to at least match that to get him to come to Houston. Lowry would be a tremendous get and a bigtime upgrade for the Rockets, but whether they are willing to pay that price remains to be seen.
However, Daryl Morey has gotten what he wanted more often than not as of late, so you shouldn't count him out til Lowry declares he's going elsewhere.