July 11, 2024
Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports
How much does Kyle Lowry have left in the tank at 38 years old?
Since the start of NBA free agency on Sunday evening, the Sixers have lost several members of their 2023-24 roster. But they have secured two critical pieces: early Monday morning, they came to terms on a contract with Kelly Oubre Jr., and now, the team has a one-year, veteran's minimum deal with veteran point guard Kyle Lowry that will bring the Philadelphia native and Villanova alum back into the fold according to a report from The Athletic's Shams Charania:
Free agent guard Kyle Lowry has agreed to a deal to return to the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. pic.twitter.com/E22rLJOiyh
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 11, 2024
Lowry, 38, had league-wide interest among championship contenders, and for good reason: despite his advanced age, he is at the very least an elite backup point guard thanks to his combination of ball-handling, passing, three-point shooting and versatile defense.
Lowry signed with the Sixers last February after being traded by the Miami Heat and bought out by the Charlotte Hornets. The initial plan was for him to be a key reserve for Sixers head coach Nick Nurse -- the man Lowry won a championship with as members of the Toronto Raptors organization in 2019 -- but due to various injuries, the seasoned veteran quickly became a fixture of Nurse's starting five.
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The expectation is that Lowry will not be a regular starter this time around, which is for the best given his lack of on-ball juice due to his diminished explosiveness as well as his significant mileage at this point in his legendary career.
In 23 games (20 starts) for the Sixers last season, Lowry played 28.4 minutes per game, posting averages of 8.0 points, 4.6 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 0.9 steals per contest, while knocking down 40.4 percent of his three-point tries on 3.9 attempts per game.
The Sixers were in need of a reliable backup point guard behind Tyrese Maxey -- who recently agreed to sign a five-year max contract with the team -- as the only reserve guards currently on the roster, Eric Gordon and Jared McCain, will not be entrusted with significant ball-handling duties.
Now, they have just that, as Lowry is back -- with the concept of him ending his storied career in Philadelphia looming.
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