Raptors show Lowry a big-money extension
The greatest Toronto Raptor of them all is sticking around for another year. Kyle Lowry, a five-time all-star who helped deliver the first NBA championship in franchise history last June, agreed to a one-year contract extension that will keep him in Toronto through the 2020-21 season, ESPN reported early Monday morning.
Only hours earlier, a chipper Lowry had held court in Tokyo. No wonder he was happy. Per the report, Lowry will collect an additional US$31 million and will not have to move his family. Lowry,
33, is the franchise leader in many categories and is approaching the top of a number of others. This is the third extension he has inked with the Raptors since being acquired from Houston in 2012.
With the deal, Toronto commits to fielding a strong team for the next two summers before being able to open up the bank in search of a marquee free agent. The 2020 free agent class is perceived to be weak, whereas the 2021 crop should be headlined by league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, so the move gives the Raptors more certainty for an extra year.
Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka and Fred Vanvleet are all slated to hit unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2020 and Pascal Siakam will either be offered a big-money extension in the next couple of weeks or next summer.
There’s little question Lowry has had the best Raptors career of any player in the franchise’s first 24 seasons. While Kawhi Leonard (and perhaps Vince Carter) had greater individual campaigns, Lowry has been the beating heart and motor of a string of strong teams, culminating in the 2018-19 title-winning edition.
Team president Masai Ujiri spoke of giving Lowry “legacy” treatment owing to his history with the franchise and then delivered.
“We’ll always pay Kyle that respect. What he’s done for this city, for this ball club, is remarkable,” Ujiri said at media day.
“You all know when we sat down here six years ago, and we would never write this script, this way, in any form of dreams. And this is where it is. I’m proud of him for that.”
Ujiri and the Raptors showed their respect for Lowry by paying him in full.
“We are so appreciative of how Masai and Bobby (Webster) handled every aspect of this negotiation,” Lowry’s new agent, Mark Bartelstein, told ESPN. “Once again, they displayed how they look after their players in a firstclass manner, especially someone like Kyle who they recognize has such a legacy with the franchise.”
Earlier Monday, Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said Lowry would not play in Japan (he is coming off of thumb surgery), but Lowry said he is itching to get back. “When I get out there it’s going to be fun,” Lowry said after pointing out the Raptors as a whole are eager to face some outside competition instead of scrimmaging against each other.
Before the pre-season even kicks off, though, a major question mark has been erased.
The Lowry Era is not over.