The Philadelphia 76ers do not have the means to make a wholesale change to the roster in the offseason. Despite a well-pronounced need to do just that, the ample financial ammo they enjoyed last year will be no more. At most, the front office will be restricted to keeping those players who have proven themselves, aside from the usual minimum signings.
Having said that, a change or two is guaranteed at this point. The 76ers have very little reason to cling onto the same roster for the most part, and that is especially true for some of the veterans on the team who have been patently disappointing on all fronts this season.
A point of emphasis for the front office in the offseason is to try and get younger in all positions. Injuries have derailed them time and time again, and going out to sign older commodities is probably a counterproductive thing to do. The teams needs an infusion of young blood, and there are numerous players eager to prove themselves.
Hence, that should spell the end for this divisive veteran.
Kyle Lowry should have already played his last game with the 76ers
Kyle Lowry, whom the 76ers managed to convince to come back for another go-round after turning in a solid short stint last season, has drastically declined in this campaign. While far from unprecedented given his age, there really should not be any more reason for the front office to want him back next season.
Despite somehow still registering 18.9 minutes per outing, Lowry could only muster a nightly average of four points, two rebounds, and 2.8 assists on even more meager shooting splits, draining just 35.1 percent of his field goal attempts and 33.7 percent of his three-point tries.
Lowry has only seen action in 33 games this season thanks to nagging injuries and has not played for nearly two months. At this point in the season, suffice to say that he is most likely going to sit out in the sidelines as the 76ers play for ping-pong balls.
Concurrently, this should also be it for Lowry’s stint in Philly. While he remains to be a favorite of Nick Nurse, he is simply way too old to be counted on as a rotation piece. Ideally, he should ride the sunset after a decorated career that included a championship in 2019.
The Philadelphia 76ers benefited from having Kyle Lowry in the roster last year, but this time around, this partnership has already reached its expiry point.