Kyle Lowry has said that he will opt-out of his contract
Kyle Lowry may have played his final game in a Toronto Raptors uniform.
After Lowry’s Raptors were dusted in four games by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, the three-time All-Star left no room for interpretation when indicating what he plans to do this offseason.
Lowry signed a four-year, $48 million contract with the Raptors in July of 2014. This season was his fifth in Toronto after three with the Memphis Grizzlies and four with the Houston Rockets.
Opting out of the final year of his contract has been the plan all season long for Lowry. Before the season started, the 12-year veteran told The Vertical that he would prefer to remain with the Raptors, but did intend to test the free agent market.
"“I think it should be a situation where a guy shouldn’t have to talk to another team,” Lowry told The Vertical. “DeMar didn’t have the chance to talk to another team. For me, I think that at 12:01 a.m. on July 1 — something should be close. If not, I’m open to seeing what else is out there.”"
Lowry’s backcourt mate, DeMar Derozan, signed a five-year $139 million contract last summer.
"“If you’re that franchise’s guy, and you’re the guy that they’ve been rolling with, and you’ve given that franchise everything you have, yeah, I think [contract negotiations] should be easy.”"
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We’ll see how easy it is. Lowry will leave a guaranteed $12 million on the table for next season to join a free agent class that may include Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, Blake Griffin, and Kevin Durant.
Lowry averaged 22.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.0 assists this season, all career highs. While his intention may have been to ultimately end up back in Toronto, this season’s discouraging playoff sweep at the hands of the Cavs may change his calculus.