Toronto Raptors All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry can cross the Philadelphia 76ers off his list of destinations after the team traded for the No. 1 overall pick where they are expected to get former Washington playmaker Markelle Fultz. Earlier, Lowry expressed interest in playing for the Sixers. Philadelphia, for its part, was planning to offer a lucrative contract to the Toronto Raptors playmaker.
However, this will not come to fruition with the latest development that saw the Boston Celtics sending their No. 1 overall pick to the 76ers for the No.
3 pick and a 2018 first-round selection. The deal is expected to be finalized Monday and the 76ers will select Fultz in Thursday’s NBA Draft.
The trade came as a surprise since the two teams only discussed it just several days ago. Weeks before the Draft, the Celtics were expected to take Fultz and play him alongside All-Star playmaker Isaiah Thomas. Things changed when the 76ers approached the Celtics about swapping first-round picks.
Fultz will play alongside Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid
With the Sixers, Fultz will play alongside Ben Simmons, who will also play as a rookie this year after missing last season with a foot injury. Center Joel Embiid is also in top shape after suffering a season-ending torn meniscus in his left knee in March.
Embiid played 31 games last season, averaging 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game, good for a runner-up finish in the Rookie of the Year race.
Raptors still want Lowry back
Lowry has one year remaining in the four-year, $48 million deal that he signed with the Raptors. However, he can become an unrestricted Free Agent in the summer by opting out of his deal in the summer and play elsewhere.
According to Raptors president Masai Ujiri, the team will work to keep Lowry in Toronto. Lowry can ask for a maximum five-year contract worth in excess of $200 million as a 10-year veteran.
However, the Raptors may have to think twice before signing Lowry to a long-term deal, considering he’s a 31-year-old point guard with a long history of injuries and struggles in the playoffs.
After averaging 22.4 points in 60 regular-season games, his scoring dipped to 15.8 points in eight playoff games last season.
Aside from the Raptors, the New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers are looking for a free-agent point guard. The Knicks are expected to move on from Derrick Rose while the Spurs’ starting guard Tony Parker is out due to an injury that he sustained in the playoffs.
