Report: 76ers and Raptors were close to deal for Kyle Lowry with Danny Green getting rerouted to 3rd team

The Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors reportedly were close to a deal that would have sent All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry to Philadelphia.

According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, the deal fell through because of a disagreement on the draft compensation that would’ve been headed to Toronto.

The Sixers ended up striking a deal for Oklahoma City Thunder point guard George Hill in a three-team deal that involved the New York Knicks.

“As for Philadelphia, which was reportedly close to a Lowry deal but wound up opting for Oklahoma City’s George Hill instead, a source with knowledge of the talks said the Raptors indeed believed they were very close on that front late in the process and that the draft compensation was the final unresolved hurdle,” Amick wrote. “The plan, the source said, was for Toronto to re-route Sixers guard Danny Green to a third team.”

Green, whose contract expires at the end of the 2020-21 season, would have helped the Sixers match salary to bring Lowry onto the roster.

While Philadelphia may have missed out on Lowry, Hill is a solid acquisition that should help the Sixers remain atop of the Eastern Conference.

Philly is 32-13 and has a two-game lead over the Milwaukee Bucks and the Brooklyn Nets for the East’s top seed.