Report: Lowry plans to opt out, prefers to stay with Raptors
Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry plans to opt out of his current contract at the conclusion of the upcoming season, The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
Lowry is currently set to make $12 million in 2017-18, but is almost certain to earn much more on the open market given the NBA's rising salary cap.
The Villanova product has badly outplayed his contract since signing a four-year, $48-million deal in 2014, collecting two All-Star appearances and one All-NBA honor over the last two seasons.
While Lowry will have free power to sign with any team when he inevitably opts out, the 6-foot guard would prefer to stay north of the border, hoping to sign a five-year deal with Toronto that will take him into his mid-30s.
"If you’re that franchise’s guy, and you’re the guy that they’ve been rolling with, and you’ve given that franchise everything you have, yeah, I think (the talks) should be easy," Lowry told The Vertical. "I think it should be a situation where a guy shouldn’t have to talk to another team. DeMar didn’t have the chance to talk to another team."
Lowry averaged 21.2 points, 6.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.1 steals in 77 games with the Raptors this past season.