NBA rumors: Kyle Lowry's 'widely expected' 76ers free agency decision

06/23/2024 03:06 PM

Kyle Lowry’s time in the NBA will be up soon but he's not done just yet. Although the scrappy, witty point guard’s days as an All-Star are over, his days as a tough role player are still ongoing. He spent the second portion of last season with the Philadelphia 76ers after being traded by the Miami Heat and now enters the open market.

Lowry has been linked to the Los Angeles Clippers as 2024 free agency approaches. Several teams in need of veteran depth will likely look Lowry’s way, though there are indications that he won't be on the move again this summer. The expectation for Lowry is for him to spend another season in Philly, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. The Clippers are also interested in bringing back Chris Paul after his one-season stint with the Golden State Warriors.

Stein writes the following: "I’ve been hearing for weeks now that the Clippers — even though Russell Westbrook possesses a $4 million player option for next season — have interest in both Paul and Kyle Lowry to supply backcourt depth. Lowry, though, is a Philadelphia native who is widely expected to re-sign with the 76ers."

Kyle Lowry expected to re-sign with 76ers in free agency

In his 23 games with the Sixers after being bought out by the Charlotte Hornets, Lowry averaged 8.0 points, 4.6 assists and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from deep. He started most of his games for Philly, giving them a competitive edge alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey while reuniting with Nick Nurse, the last coach he played for on the Toronto Raptors.

Lowry, who was previously named one of the three Sixers free agents most likely to re-sign, grew up in Philadelphia and played college basketball at nearby Villanova. He said that playing for his hometown team was a dream come true after starting his NBA career in various other cities. The chance to play alongside stars and compete for another championship in front of his friends and family is not an opportunity he is eager to relinquish.

"It wasn’t a dream. You never want to really play at home because there’s so much going on. It’s a hard place to play when you go back home. But at the end of the day, it’s a dream come true because I’m actually being able to play in front of my friends and family and people that I cheered growing up with as a Sixers fan. It's one of those things where now, I’m prepared to do it," Lowry said in February about joining the Sixers. "When you’re younger, you’re not really prepared to do it. But at this point in my time in my career, I’m prepared to do it."

The 76ers have a lot of progress to make this offseason as they look to compete with the Boston Celtics. Keeping Lowry won’t serve as an insanely big upgrade but it would keep some continuity going forward and give Philly a super-competitive veteran whose desire to go on one more playoff run is sky-high.

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