Sixers rumors: Kyle Lowry demands hefty price in free agency

The Philadelphia 76ers have been tied to Bradley Beal and Damian Lillard, but perhaps the most attainable star guard is Kyle Lowry, who enters unrestricted free agency this summer after nine years with Toronto. Lowry was tied to Philadelphia at the trade deadline, and it’s clear the Sixers will express interest.

By all indications, Lowry will also express interest in the Sixers. He’s a Philly native and a Villanova alum, who has openly divulged his Eagles fandom in the football-starved streets of Ontario. The Sixers, however, will need to overcome some financial complications in order to sign (and trade for) Lowry, who will not come cheap.

According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Lowry will consider the Sixers if he gets a contract in the range of “$25-30 million” per year. His reported asking price entering free agency is three years, $90 million.

Kyle Lowry will demand a lot of money. Are the Sixers willing to pay it, and more importantly, can they pay it?

Let’s get the simple stuff out of the way first — yes, the Sixers should happily give Kyle Lowry $25-30 million over three years. Philadelphia has a title window that is open right now, and Lowry unquestionably moves the needle in the right direction. He’s a proven winner and champion, not to mention a six-time All-Star. He’s 35 years old, and I am here to tell you, the Sixers should not care. It’s all about the here and now, and Lowry is still productive enough to earn three years, $90 million.

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This is not the time for the Sixers to get cute with money. The salary cap should not bother ownership or management. Philadelphia does not have cap space, so Lowry’s contract would be carved out of money already committed to other players. It’s not like there’s much flexibility lost, because the Sixers don’t really have flexibility.

That said, the question of whether the Sixers can actually afford $25 million per season (logistically, not logically — because, again, he’s good enough to earn that much money) is harder to answer. It would require some creativity on Daryl Morey’s part.

The easy answer is to build a sign-and-trade around Ben Simmons. Toronto has already declined a rather ambitious proposal from Morey, which included Lowry on top of Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, and the No. 4 pick. The Sixers may not get all that, but Lowry and stuff for Simmons is justifiable, even if I am somewhat skeptical of Lowry as the core of a Simmons trade.

More ideally, the Sixers would acquire Lowry is a deal separate from Simmons, which becomes much tougher. Philadelphia will have to match salary. Without Simmons’ $33 million, the Sixers are starting at George Hill ($10 million), Seth Curry ($8.2 million), and pieces.

Another potential asset for Philadelphia is their $8.2 million trade exception. If the Sixers acquire a respectable player (let’s say, Cedi Osman), then that’s more salary in the pot. If Lowry demands $30 million and does not budge, that makes life tougher for Philadelphia than $25 million. Assuming he will have other teams making big offers — New York and New Orleans both have the cap space to deliver what he wants — the Sixers may test his attachment to home and his attachment to winning.

In the end, the Sixers will certainly be in the mix. Lowry, on top of his general connection to the city, also has a strong relationship with Daryl Morey from their Houston days. Lowry has been playing the Sixers four times a year for nine years, so there’s no lack of familiarity. If he wants Philly, and Philly wants him, there’s a good chance they can make something happen.

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