The Sixers have been closely connected to Kyle Lowry for years. It seems like once again they’ll be one of his top suitors.
The offseason is now in full swing with the draft and free agency approaching. The 76ers have been involved in some trade rumors for stars such as Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal. By draft night either of the aforementioned players could be traded but what we don’t have is a clear picture of free agency for the Sixers.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Sixers will be one of the teams to pursue veteran guard Kyle Lowry. The Sixers are one of five teams interested in signing Lowry. The other teams include the Lakers, Mavericks, Pelicans, and Heat. Senior NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski all but confirmed this during his Draft/Free Agency special Sunday afternoon. Woj believes that Lowry could potentially command 25 to 30 million dollars per year.
The 76ers would not be able to sign Lowry outright in free agency and would have to complete a sign-and-trade with the Toronto Raptors. The Sixers were after Lowry during the season and almost pulled the trigger before the trade deadline in March. The Raptors’ asking price was too high at the time, and Daryl Morey passed on the deal. Multiple teams like the Lakers and Heat passed on a Lowry deal as well, so it is not a surprise that they will be in on the Lowry sweepstakes this offseason.
The path to a sign-and-trade for Lowry will come down to what the Sixers can put together and whether Lowry would like to come to Philadelphia over alternative destinations. There’s not much flexibility when it comes to a Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade unfortunately meaning that not only will the Sixers have to give up matching salary but also quality players.
The Sixers would have to fully guarantee George Hill’s contract and more than likely send a combination of Seth Curry and Shake Milton. In a sign-and-trade, the Sixers would have to match the salary of Lowry, who would like to make somewhere between $25-30 million per year. Maybe Lowry takes a $23 million contract in the first year, and it gradually increases by the allowed 8% over the following two years. Trading Seth Curry is not ideal after his superb performance in the playoffs.
If the Sixers would like to pursue Lowry, it seems as though they will have to make some sacrifices to get him to his hometown team. Perhaps he decides to take a hometown discount to retire in Philadelphia, but that is highly unlikely. What we do know is Daryl Morey tends to make good deals and doesn’t normally overpay. If Morey finds a way to get Kyle Lowry to Philadelphia, we know he will not have overspent.
