The Eastern Conference race took a surprising turn when the Boston Celtics actually managed to surpass the Cleveland Cavaliers for the top seed. Despite the return of LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving in the lineup, the group remains clunky in their execution in the hardwood court. Now, many wonder if it would be Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford to face either the Golden State Warriors or the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals. Will a Kyle Lowry trade make this a reality?

Although the Boston Celtics were praised for accomplishing such feat, experts still believe that the Cleveland Cavaliers could not be easily toppled. In fact, many feel that LeBron James will simply regain his footing and trample everyone on the way to once again bring a trophy to the Kyrie Irving squad. However, speculations indicate that the Boston Celtics might have the tools to stop that from happening soon: a Kyle Lowry trade.

"As vulnerable as the Cavaliers have looked lately, they still have LeBron James. Regardless of how badly they sputter down the stretch, a reasonable person could argue it doesn't matter because of that simple and powerful reason. James has reached the Finals in six straight seasons," said Jay King of MassLive.

He added, "He is the Great Differentiator, the best and most complete player of his generation. If anyone can pull Cleveland out of its struggles at least long enough to reach the Finals again, James is the guy. And he will be working with Irving, Kevin Love and an overload of 3-point shooting."   

Rumors are rife that the Toronto Raptors are open to a Kyle Lowry trade. Since signing DeMar DeRozan to a massive five-year deal, the Serge Ibaka team has made the commitment to make him their franchise player. Due to this huge cut from their salary cap space, offers to other players may not be as lucrative. Hence, many speculate that Kyle Lowry could be leaving the team.

"For me, I think that at 12:01 a.m. on July 1 - something should be close. If not, I'm open to seeing what else is out there," said Kyle Lowry of his free agency.

So far, the Boston Celtics are anticipated to have the sufficient assets and money to accommodate an all-out offer for a Kyle Lowry trade. Fans are certain that the Toronto Raptors would opt to get something out of the NBA All-Star as opposed to allowing him to walk away via free agency. At this point though, no official comment has been made by the parties tagged in this NBA rumor.