1 for 2! Officially cut! 6-time All-Star guard, teamed up with Embiid
In the early morning of February 12, Beijing time, the Hornets officially announced that they would officially lay off veteran Lowry. At the same time, the agency announced: Lowry signed with the Philadelphia 76ers with a base salary of $2.8 million. Wait, isn't Lowry in the Heat? The Hornets sent Rozier to the Heat in a 1-for-2 trade for Lowry and a 2027 first-round pick (lotto protected).
Lowry's original three-year, $85 million contract, which expires this summer, gives him a salary of $29.68 million this season. The Hornets wanted to continue to trade Lowry, but unfortunately no team took over, so they had to be cut! In addition to Philadelphia, teams such as the Timberwolves, Lakers, and Suns are also chasing Lowry! Lowry with 30 million is not worth it, and Lowry with a base salary is a sweetheart.
Why did Lowry choose the 76ers? Two reasons: 1. Lowry grew up in Philadelphia, and he attended high school and college in Philadelphia. Just like Dinwiddie returned to Los Angeles, Lowry chose Philadelphia to play back to his hometown, 2. 76ers coach Nick Nurse was Lowry's mentor in the Raptors, and the two have teamed up for many years and successfully won the championship in 2019!
As the coach wrote before, many NBA stars have hometown complexes. For Lowry, he already has a big contract and a championship. At the end of his career, being able to play in front of his hometown parents is what Lowry values most at this stage. For the 76ers, signing Lowry is not a cost, and the team's total salary is currently $4.9 million below the luxury tax line.
Lowry was born on March 25, 1986, and was raised by his mother alone. Because of her family's poverty, Lowry lived with her mother in one of the worst neighborhoods in Philadelphia. When he slept in the middle of the night, he often heard gunshots. Under his mother's tutelage, Lowry devoted all his energy to basketball and became a local basketball star in Philadelphia during his high school years.
In the 2006 NBA Draft, Lowry was selected by the Grizzlies with the 24th pick in the first round. In his rookie season, he played only 10 games before being reimbursed due to injury. Fortunately, Lowry returned full of blood, playing 82 regular season games in the second year of his career, averaging 9.6 points, 3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game. In February 2009, the Rockets sent Alstom away and traded for Lowry.
Many Chinese fans know Lowry because of his rocket career, when everyone called him "Little Steel Cannon". In the 2011-12 season, Lowry averaged 14.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game for the Rockets, and his three-point shooting percentage reached 37.4%. In the summer of 2012, the Rockets sent Lowry to the Raptors for Gary Forbes and a first-round pick.
It was a deal that changed Lowry's career. From 2015 to 2020, Lowry was named to the All-Star Game six times in a row and was named to the All-Star Team three times in 2015-16 (averaging 21.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game). In the following 2016-17 season, Lowry averaged 22.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7 assists and 1.5 steals per game, shooting 41.2% from three-point range.
In the summer of 2017, the Raptors signed Lowry to a three-year, $100 million extension. In the 2019 playoffs, Lowry averaged 15 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game, helping the Raptors win the NBA championship. In the summer of 2021, Lowry joined the Heat for $85 million for three years. Throughout his NBA career, Lowry's total salary is more than $270 million, didn't you expect it?
In the last two years, Lowry has been plagued by a hamstring injury, and his competitive form is not as good as before. This season, he averaged 8.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.4 turnovers per game with the Heat, shooting 42.6%, 38.5% and 83.3% from three. Because Embiid hasn't been reimbursed for the season yet, the 76ers expect Lowry to help the team in the playoffs!
With Lowry and Hield joining the 76ers, how far do you think this team can go?