Kyle Lowry confirmed this morning what we already knew -- that he will opt out of his deal with the Toronto Raptors and become an unrestricted free agent. Now the speculation can officially commence about where he might land.
Now 31 years old, Lowry dropped a hint on Monday about his future plans by giving out his priorities as a free agent, and as it turns out he has just one: he wants to win a title.
"A ring. Nothing else. I just want s ring." - Lowry on free agent priorities
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) May 8, 2017
He also added that he thinks he can win a ring no matter where he goes.
What does Lowry want most? “A ring.” Can he do it in Toronto? “I think I can do it anywhere I am."
— (((Eric Koreen))) (@ekoreen) May 8, 2017
The prime for Lowry, as he seems to be keenly aware of, is right now, and he has yet to attach an ever-elusive NBA title to his name. He's spent time with Memphis, Houston and Toronto in his 10-year NBA career, but none of those franchises have earned what every NBA player wants in his professional career.
Lowry is coming off his most productive season, averaging 22.4 points and 7.0 assists per game for the Raptors. But even with a talented Toronto team that was a sexy pick to compete for an Eastern Conference title, Lowry himself admitted that closing the gap while LeBron James is still in Cleveland is no easy task. In fact, it's not a task that he thinks can be accomplished, which gives some substance to the rumors that he could be considering a move to the Western Conference.
"They've got LeBron James," Lowry said of the Cavaliers this week. "Nobody's closing the gap on him. I mean, that's it right there: They've got LeBron James and nobody's closing the gap on him."
We'll wait and see which teams bid for Lowry's services once the free agency period begins this summer.
