Toronto coach Dwane Casey knew he was in for a fitful sleep that night in December 2013. The Raptors had a deal all set. Kyle Lowry was going to the Knicks for Iman Shumpert, Metta World Peace and a future first-rounder.
“When I went to bed, I understood Kyle was being traded, we were going in another direction,” Casey said. “Then lo and behold, they changed their mind here. Thank goodness. I didn’t want to lose Kyle, his feistiness, his toughness. Sometimes the best deals you make are the ones you don’t. It was a difference-maker, that deal being turned down by New York.