Masai Ujiri has said (tweet1, tweet2) that he’s going “full force” after Kyle Lowry.
“We’ll go for talent in the draft, but Kyle Lowry is our target and we’ll try to get that done”, said Ujiri. Having averaged close to 18 points and 7.5 assists, and more importantly, been the unquestionable leader of the Raptors, Lowry is the Raptors’ #1 off-season priority.
Although Lowry has publicly stated that he loves the Raptors situation, interest from Miami has made Raptors fans nervous to a degree, but Ujiri’s remarks show full intent of not letting Lowry go easily. Alternatives to Lowry leaving are not promising and no matter how much we brace ourselves for a potential exit, his departure is sure to leave a void which could hurt the near and long-term prospects of the franchise.
On the pod this week, we suggested that his relatively modest $28.8 million in career earnings might give the Raptors an edge, considering they own his Bird rights. Given the lack of teams with cap space, this puts the Raptors at an advantage at getting Lowry’s signature on the dotted line, considering he’s yet to receive a big NBA payday, and he’s short of the age when players tend to give up money for a chance to be part of title-contending sides.
