Is Kyle Lowry considering an NBA homecoming?
The Toronto Raptors guard announced recently he plans to opt out of his contract this offseason and become an unrestricted free agent. And while reports have surfaced that he’s considering a move to the Western Conference, there’s a team closer to home that reportedly could be in the mix for Lowry’s services: The Philadelphia 76ers.
In a column for the Philadelphia Inquirer on Wednesday, NBA writer Keith Pompey pointed out that Lowry, a Philadelphia native who played his college ball at Villanova, has had a long-standing interest in playing for his hometown team.
“Sources have said the North Philly native has been interested in playing for the Sixers for some time,” Pompey wrote. “The speculation only heightened once Bryan Colangelo became the president of basketball operations in April 2016. As the Raptors general manager, Colangelo acquired Lowry in a trade from the Houston Rockets on July 11, 2012. The two have remained good friends since then.
“And sources have always said that the Sixers planned to offer Lowry a lucrative contract this summer.”
Lowry in Philadelphia seems like a potential fit: The Sixers are loaded with young big men but lack a scorer in the backcourt, and the 31-year-old also would add a veteran presence to a very young squad. But Philly also has the fourth-best odds of earning the top pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, and if it opts to take a point guard like Markelle Fultz or Lonzo Ball, then signing Lowry to a maximum contract might not make sense.
Lowry also told reporters his primary motivator in free agency is to win a championship, and Philadelphia, which hasn’t won more than 28 games in the last four seasons, isn’t exactly knocking on the door.
Thumbnail photo via Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports Images
