Houston Rockets: Kyle Lowry Wants Out

Three weeks ago Kyle Lowry had surgery to repair torn muscles and a sports hernia, and while the Rockets front office is preparing for the draft (lottery on Wednesday night); Lowry is making it known that he wants to be moved. Lowry returned to Toyota Center yesterday to lift weights and go through a few shooting drills and while he did not directly say that he wanted to be traded, he made it abundantly clear that factors in place that aren't likely to change, have caused him to believe he'll have to be traded. The Rockets point guard commented that he didn't like the way coaches handled his return from injury last season and the playing time split with Goran Dragic. More specifically, he hinted to Jonathan Feigen of the Chronicle that he couldn't co-exist with current head coach Kevin McHale.

"I don’t think so," Lowry, 26, said. "I honestly think it would be tough. Things have to be addressed. The situation would have to be addressed.

"If things aren’t addressed coaching-wise, I guess I have to be moved."

I think it has less to do with the coach specifically and more to do with losing playing time to Goran Dragic. A situation, that could make itself worse if GM Daryl Morey follows through with his plan to re-sign the free-agent point guard. Dragic and Lowry played well together towards the end of last season, even at times with them both on the court at the same time, but over the long-term most fans believe they'll have to choose one. Neither player is big enough or has the game to play the 2-guard over a full season; Lowry tells the Chronicle that he doesn't think the two can play together.

"I would say I don’t think so," Lowry said. "We’re both capable starters. We both want it. It’s going to have to be a situation where they make a decision on one of us.

"It has nothing to do with Goran. I’m not happy with the way coaches handled things. If management wants to do something to keep Goran, I think I’ll have to be moved."

Despite comments from McHale and Morey, I think the team and Lowry will ultimately part ways. Morey has made it clear that he intends to re-sign Dragic, and even if the two point guards can co-exist, having two guys at the same position making that much money isn't the best allocation of resources. Just think to a couple seasons ago when they re-signed Lowry; the starter Aaron Brooks became grumpy and he was traded to the Suns. I believe that in the coming weeks, probably sometime between the lottery and the NBA draft, they'll move Lowry either for picks or in a bigger deal to finally bring a superstar to Houston. McHale will stay, Dragic will be re-signed, and I predict Lowry will be in a new uniform next season.