NBA Rumors: Toronto Raptors going ‘full force’ after Kyle Lowry
The Toronto Raptors were one of the league’s surprises in the 2013-2014 season.
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After getting off to a terrible start, the Raptors traded froward Rudy Gay to the Sacramento Kings and completely turned their season around. They finished 48-34 and won the Atlantic Division. They returned to the postseason but were eliminated in the first round by the Brooklyn Nets in seven games.
Now, the Raptors will do whatever they can to improve upon that success and take the next step, which is advancing in the playoffs. On Thursday night, they will get their first chance to upgrade their roster when they go on the clock with the 20th-overall selection in the first round of the NBA Draft. There has been speculation the Raptors could take a point guard since Kyle Lowry is set to become a free agent.
Even if the Raptors do select a point guard, they will do whatever they can to retain Lowry.
According to Josh Lewenburg of TSN, Raptors’ general manager Masai Ujiri is making Lowry the team’s number one priority in the offseason and they are going “full force” after Lowry once free agency beings.
Ujiri reiterates re-signing Lowry is Raptors top priority but won't affect draft decision, will select best avail regardless of position
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) June 23, 2014
Masai: "We’re going full force after Kyle Lowry… we’ll go for talent in the draft but Kyle Lowry is our target & we’ll try to get that done”
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) June 23, 2014
Lowry averaged 17.9 points, 7.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game while sooting 42.3% from the field, 38.0% from beyond the arc and 81.3% from the charity stripe for the Raptors last season.