After a disappointing finish to his 2017 NBA Playoffs experience, Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry is reportedly going to test the waters of the NBA as a free agent. It was reported by ESPN on Monday that Lowry will opt out of the final year of his contract with the team to see about other interested teams this summer. That news is likely to have plenty of needy teams and their fans excited as the All-Star guard could certainly provide a boost to many rosters.

Early playoffs exit

This year's postseason run was disappointing for Kyle Lowry and the Raptors, as the team was able to overcome Milwaukee in the first round, only to be swept by LeBron James and the Cavs.

The final games of that Eastern Conference semifinals series against Cleveland were ones in which Lowry was watching from the sidelines due to an ankle injury.

While the Raptors looked like they might prevent elimination on Sunday, they were unable to put a stop to the scoring and playmaking abilities of LeBron and Kyrie Irving. DeMar DeRozan did all he could but was basically on his own against two of the league's premier stars. Lowry's absence was certainly felt, and although Toronto showed little ability to defeat Cleveland this past regular season, he may have helped them snatch a game or two against the reigning champs in their playoffs series.

Lowry's resume

The NBA All-Star guard from Villanova has been in the league for 10 years now, first playing for the Memphis Grizzlies, before bouncing back and forth between the Rockets and Grizzlies.

Ultimately, a trade during the 2011-12 offseason saw him shipped over to the Toronto Raptors where he's spent the past five seasons playing.

His 2016-17 NBA season averages were 22.4 points, seven assists, and nearly five rebounds a game. He participated in the first eight games of the Raptors' playoff run, sitting out the final two losses to Cleveland.

Now Toronto fans may be wondering if that was the last time they saw Lowry as a part of their team.

His career scoring average seems low at 14.3 points per game, but that has picked up over his past two seasons in Toronto, where he had his best two scoring seasons during his career. Given the right environment, this All-Star guard, who also participated in a recent Team USA gold medal run at the Olympics, will probably be a major addition.

Lowry first made his plan to test free agency known back in October when he said he was "open to seeing what else is out there." He has one year and $12 million remaining on his four-year contract with the Raptors. The original deal was a $48 million deal signed back in July of 2014.
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