Toronto Raptors Kyle Lowry is expected to be one of the most coveted veteran players on the free agency market in the 2021 offseason. The Raptors may have decided to keep Lowry for the rest of the 2020-21 NBA season but with the team expected to undergo a rebuilding process, his departure from Toronto seems inevitable. Instead of wasting another season on a rebuilding team, most people believe that Lowry will sign with a team that is seriously aiming to win the NBA championship title next year.
Kyle Lowry To Knicks
One of the aspiring contenders that could express a strong interest in signing Lowry in the 2021 free agency is the New York Knicks. In a recent article, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report talked about the Knicks and their plan to speed up their timeline this summer. After picking up Julius Randle’s option and bringing back some essential members of their rotation, Fischer thinks that the Knicks would try to acquire Lowry by offering him a “hefty single-season agreement” in the upcoming offseason.
Kyle Lowry Has History Of Signing Massive One-Year Contracts
At 35, there’s no doubt that Lowry is already on the downside of his career so he will likely want to sign his final long-term contract in 2021 free agency. However, Fischer believes that there’s still a huge possibility for the Knicks to convince him to sign a one-year deal this summer.
“Word among league personnel suggests Lowry is looking for a longer contract this summer, but the All-Star point guard does have a recent history of accepting big-money one-year offers, as he did with Toronto before the 2020-21 campaign ($ 31 million).”
Signing Kyle Lowry Addresses Knicks’ Major Backcourt Problem
Though he no longer fits the timeline of most of their players, Lowry would still be a great signing for the Knicks. His potential arrival in New York would address their backcourt problem and boost their performance on both ends of the floor. He would give them a championship-caliber point guard, as well as a very reliable scoring option, rebounder, perimeter defender, and floor-spacer.
This season, he’s averaging 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.0 steal while shooting 42.7 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN.
Why Signing Kyle Lowry To A One-Year Deal Make Sense For Knicks?
Signing Lowry to a one-year contract in the 2021 free agency wouldn’t only make the Knicks a more competitive team in the 2021-22 NBA season, but it would also help them maintain their salary cap flexibility in the summer of 2022. Unlike this summer, the 2022 free agency class would be star-studded and expected to feature the likes of James Harden, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving, and Bradley Beal, per Spotrac.
The Knicks may have failed to acquire their top targets in past offseasons but if they continue to improve next season, they would become a more attractive destination for superstars in the 2022 free agency.
