Free Agency Diary 2017
Lowry Staying With Raptors
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry has agreed to a three-year, $100 million deal with the Toronto Raptors, a league source told Basketball Insiders.
Lowry has been an All-Star each of the past three seasons and averaged a career-high 22.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in 37.4 minutes per game. Lowry also shot a career-best from beyond the arc (.412) and from the field overall (.464).
The 31-year old guard will return to Toronto with Serge Ibaka after the forward agreed to a three-year, $65 million deal. Lowry and Ibaka are both represented by agent Andy Miller of ASM Sports.
The returns of Lowry and Ibaka could spell the end of point guard Cory Joseph’s tenure with the Raptors. Toronto has discussed a trade that would send Joseph to the Indiana Pacers, as previously reported by Basketball Insiders.
The Pacers are searching for a young point guard with playoff experience that can be a part of the team’s rebuilding process after losing point guard Jeff Teague in free agency.
Teague agreed to a 3-year, $55 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves at the start of free agency.
Joseph will earn $7.6 million this upcoming season and has a $7.9 million player option for the 2018-19 season.
While Joseph’s future is uncertain, the Raptors know Lowry and Ibaka will be a part of the team’s core for the foreseeable future.
Source: Kyle Lowry and Toronto Raptors have agreed to a 3-year, $100 million deal.
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) July 2, 2017
