While Kyle Lowry’s fit may be appealing, he’s not the guard the Philadelphia 76ers need.
The Philadelphia 76ers need guards that can shoot the ball — surprise.
And as the Sixers enter the offseason, many people are optimistic they can bring legitimate NBA talent in through free agency.
Kyle Lowry, a Philadelphia native and Villanova product, will opt out of his contract and test free agency this summer.
Philadelphia 76ers
But would Lowry fit in the Sixers’ offense with Ben Simmons running the point? Is it the right time to add a 31-year old player with a potential $30-$40 million contract? Could Lowry’s talent propel the Sixers into the playoffs next season?
Let’s take a look at why it makes sense, why it doesn’t and the fit below:
Why it makes sense
We’ll start with the obvious: Lowry’s a Philadelphia native. According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, he’s interested in returning to his hometown.
If signed, though, Lowry would also provide a veteran presence to a young Sixers team. He’s coming off a career year, where he averaged 22.4 points, 7.0 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game.
Lowry also has a connection with Sixers president of basketball operations, Bryan Colangelo. Colangelo made a trade with the Houston Rockets in 2012 for Lowry while he was the general manager of the Toronto Raptors. And there’s been plenty of reports that Colangelo will pursue him this offseason.
Given Lowry’s playoff experience, he could help take some of the pressure off of Joel Embiid and Simmons as each of them continue to develop. Many also believe if the Sixers signed Lowry, they would be able to make the playoffs. In a weak Eastern Conference, this might come to fruition, especially if Embiid stays healthy and Simmons grows into the player he’s expected to be.
Lowry also would fill a need in the Sixers’ backcourt. Due to injuries, Head coach Brett Brown juggled players at the point guard position last season. Rookie Timothe Luwawu-Cabarot and Nik Stauskas each saw a decent amount of time at point guard as a result of those injuries.
Lowry would start, and be backed up by T.J. McConnell and Jerryd Bayless on the depth chart.
Why it doesn’t make sense
Lowry, 31, doesn’t make sense with the Sixers’ current timeline. He’s even told reporters all he wants to do is “Just win a ring,” and the Sixers aren’t built to win now.
By the time Lowry is at the end of his deal, he will be in his mid-30s — right when Simmons, Embiid and Dario Saric should start to compete in the playoffs.
On top of that, the Sixers’ salary cap would take a huge hit by signing Lowry. While they do have plenty of money to throw around, the Sixers have some serious questions in the future regarding players on their roster.
Embiid is a restricted free agent in 2018, and he will likely get the max deal. The Sixers will also have to re-work Robert Covington‘s deal, who is an unrestricted free agent in 2018.
A lineup featuring Lowry, Simmons, Embiid, Saric and another guard sounds enticing, but Lowry’s age doesn’t align with the Sixers’ long-term plans.
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Fit with the Sixers
Lowry’s ability to score would help solve the Sixers’ lack of backcourt scoring they have been struggling to find. Bayless was supposed to be the guy who could play off Simmons and hit the open jumper last season, but he was injured and only played in three games last year.
Lowry’s 41 percent three point percentage last season would fit in Brown’s pace and space system. He would also benefit Embiid in pick-and-roll situations by drawing the mismatch on a bigger defender, or kicking out to Embiid for three or cutting to the basket.
If Simmons had played last season, Colangelo would have a better idea of what type of guard they need heading into the offseason to complement him. But simply based on ability, Lowry should fit on the Sixers.
Final evaluation
Does Lowry make the Sixers better? Yes, he does.
It’s a very tough spot for the Sixers, especially with how the NBA Draft Lottery shaped out on Tuesday night. The Sixers landed the No. 3 overall pick and will likely select Kansas forward, Josh Jackson.
But, it still doesn’t make sense to bring in a player who’s better days will be behind him by the time the Sixers’ core will start to enter their prime.
While Lowry would step in right away and make an impact on the Sixers, they would be wise to stay away from Lowry for financial reasons.
Next: Why Extending Robert Covington Makes Sense
But with Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball likely being drafted before the Sixers select in the upcoming NBA Draft, adding Lowry might be even more appealing to Sixers president of basketball operations, Bryan Colangelo, and I wouldn’t blame him if he offered Lowry a nice pay check this summer.