NBA Rumors: Sixers Remain a Top Candidate for Raptors' Kyle Lowry

The Sixers are reportedly "leading the pursuit" for Kyle Lowry.

The Philadelphia 76ers have sent some pretty mixed signals regarding trades over the last couple of months. After swinging and missing on former Houston Rockets superstar James Harden a few months back, Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey has hinted at possibly making smaller moves to fill out the bench.

But as the deadline inches closer and the Toronto Raptors continue to struggle within the Eastern Conference, it seems the Sixers can't help but think they might be able to land Toronto's veteran guard, Kyle Lowry, for a favorable price.

For weeks the Sixers have been linked to Lowry, but reports out of Toronto indicated that there's a small chance the Raptors actually pull the trigger on a Lowry trade. But as the Raptors got off to a slow start coming out of the All-Star break, it seems the they are having second thoughts.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Raptors could work with Lowry on keeping him around or dealing him elsewhere as he wants to compete for a championship. If Toronto decides to go with the latter, Charania reports that the Miami Heat and the Sixers are "leading the pursuit."

"The Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers are leaders in pursuit to acquire Lowry, sources told The Athletic, and several rival team executives are monitoring the situation as well as which young player or asset either team could part with."

Philly could use some immediate help for their bench, but landing another star like Lowry is something they have to go for if possible. In 35 games this season, Lowry is averaging 17 points-per-game while draining 43-percent of his field-goal attempts and 39-percent of his shots from beyond the arc.

Not only is Lowry still thriving at 34-years-old, but he has championship experience as well. Lowry could be a bit costly, and there's the risk of losing him in less than a year to free agency, but if the 76ers believe he's the missing piece to their championship-contending team, then acquiring the veteran guard is a gamble that Daryl Morey would have to take.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.