The Miami Heat are sending Kyle Lowry to the Charlotte Hornets as part of a trade to acquire Terry Rozier. Lowry, 37, has struggled this season, looking a step slower than usual and struggling to maintain a high level on the defensive end.
The Hornets have no immediate plans to work on a buyout with Lowry and are expected to see if they can work another trade for him before the February 8 deadline, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 23, 2024
Lowry is in the final year of his three-year $85M deal. He will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Given his age and clear decline, Lowry could be looking at the end of the road. Sure, he will get minutes this season; Charlotte will either play him, flip him, or buy him out, where a contending team may view him as an upgrade for its bench unit.
It's worth noting that not every team would be able to acquire Lowry on the buy-out market. As part of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams over the second tax apron would be unable to sign him to a deal. The rule states that second-apron teams cannot sign buy-out players who were earning above the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception. Currently, the second apron teams are:
Current Tax Apron teams are:
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) January 15, 2024
Celtics - 2nd Apron
Nuggets - 1st Apron (hard capped at 2nd Apron)
Warriors - 2nd Apron
Clippers - 2nd Apron
Heat - 1st Apron
Bucks - 2nd Apron
Suns - 2nd Apron
None of these teams can sign a buyout player who made more than NTMLE this season. https://t.co/PN2eJBXPJT
The issues will come for Lowry during the summer. He will be entering his age-38 season. The aging process has robbed him of his electric first step. He struggles to navigate screens with speed and precision. And his offensive output is decreasing as defenders find it easier to stay in front of him. When the summer comes, it may be time for Lowry to call it a day.
An 18-year NBA career is a major accomplishment. In that time, Lowry has been named as an All-Star on six occasions. He has made 130 playoff appearances. He won a championship in 2019 with the Toronto Raptors. Lowry has had an amazing career. There's no harm in admitting that the time has come to call it a day.
With that in mind, it would be fitting if he found his way back to the Toronto Raptors to end the season. He would have a chance to retire with the team he won a championship with and help impart some veteran knowledge to the team's young core.
Regardless of what happens between now and the summer, it's going to be interesting to see if Lowry finds another opportunity in the NBA.
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