All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry has emerged as potential free-agency target for the Dallas Mavericks following a report by ESPN’s Marc Stein about the veteran playmaker seriously considering a move to the Western Conference for a better shot at his first NBA championship ring.
Lowry to Mavs?
The Mavericks entered the off-season with two goals on their mind: re-sign young center Nerlens Noel and acquire a top-tier playmaker. Luckily for the ball club, this year’s free-agency market boasts a collection of excellent point guards, starting off with Los Angeles Clippers’ All-Star Chris Paul.
Of course, the Mavs are long-shot destination for CP3, but the depth in talent is there. George Hill of the Utah Jazz, Jeff Teague of Indiana Pacers and Jrue Holiday of the New Orleans Pelicans, are some of the second-tier playmakers the Mavs could pursue starting July 1.
The Mavericks’ point guard search appeared to be set on these three nice free-agents when Lowry’s name popped out of nowhere. According to Stein, the rumors surrounding Lowry’s potential jump to the Western Conference increased after the Toronto Raptors got demolished by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Lowry, who was reduced to spectator’s role in the last two games of the Cavs' series sweep after suffering an ankle injury in Game 2, expressed his disappointment for failing to get over hump anew despite acquiring key players such as Serge Ibaka and P.J Tucker at the trade deadline.
Lowry believes as long as LeBron James keeps steering the Cavaliers, it would be near impossible for other teams to come out of the Eastern Conference.
How can the Mavs acquire him?
According to cap expert Dan Favale of Bleacher Report, the Mavericks are projected to have a starting cap of $22 million, but that figure could increase if Nowitzki decides not to exercise his player’s option for 2017/18 season worth $25MM and re-negotiates for another bargain deal instead.
And while Lowry is eligible for a contract worth at least $28MM to $30MM per year, it’s uncertain if Masai Ujiri is willing to sign a 31-year old playmaker to a long-term deal.
On the other hand, the Mavericks could resort to overpaying Lowry for the sake of giving Nowiztki one last shot at an NBA championship. Retaining Noel won’t be a problem either since they have his Larry Bird right – which gives them the ability to match any offer sheet from other suitors.
Lowry, who averaged 22.4 points and 7.0 assists last season, would be a nice fit for the Mavs because he excels in pace-and-space system like he did under Dwane Casey in Toronto.
He had an excellent run with the Raptors as he helped the franchise reach the playoffs in four of five seasons and earned three All-Star selections. Last year, Lowry and his backcourt partner DeMar DeRozan spearheaded the Raptors to its first ever conference finals appearance, where they fell to the Cavaliers in six games.
