The destiny of unrestricted free agent veteran Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry this offseason will be a key story to monitor. The Athletic’s writers engaged in entertaining mock Lowry free agency negotiations this week, acting as Lowry’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, and team reps for the Raptors, Heat, Mavericks, Knicks, and Sixers. In the exercise, Lowry ultimately selected the Heat.
The 35-year-old Lowry, a six-time All-Star and a 2019 champion with the Raptors, averaged 17.2 PPG, 7.3 APG, and 5.4 across 46 games during the 2020/21 season. He posted a shooting line of .436/.396/.875.
Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world today:
- The NBA has announced its COVID-19 health and safety protocols ahead of the upcoming 2021 Summer League in Las Vegas, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. There are significant differences between the restrictions placed on fully-vaccinated players and non-vaccinated players, ranging from quarantine restrictions to the frequency of testing for the novel coronavirus and permitted activities while in Las Vegas.
- The EuroLeague has reached an agreement with its players’ association, the ELPA, on the first unified CBA across the league, per Alessandro Maggiuro of Sportando.
- Lithuanian EuroLeague club Zalgiris Kaunas may sign recent former NBA lottery pick Emmanuel Mudiay, writes Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. The 6’3″ point guard opted to bypass college ball and turned pro after high school, playing with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the CBA during the 2014/15 season. He was selected by the Nuggets in the 2015 draft with the No. 7 pick, and served stints with the Knicks and Jazz. He last played in the NBA for Utah during the 2019/20 season.
Lakers can’t get Lowry because of Hard cap
Mudiay had the game to make it. He just never improved. He was a 2way way player. A big PG. What goes wrong when you get drafted. And then just never get better at your craft. Wasted talent, how much responsibility does a team have in this ?
I do t see why Lowry would return to Toronto. Lakers can get him with a sign n trade. Which would benefit Raptors. Since they will lose him anyway. Lowry is a better fit than Schroeder. He can give them two good yrs IMO. And since Raptors are basically getting something for nothing. They shouldn’t be asking for much. And should help Kyle for everything he’s done for them.
Doing a S&T would take away the ability to do an offer sheet for Allan or sign a FA. It has to make sense for the Raptors to participate.
Raptors can easily create $20 million cap room to sign any top free agent
If Sign and Trade Lowry to Lakers, they have zero cap room