One of free agency’s biggest targets, point guard Kyle Lowry, is off the market as he has agreed to stay in Toronto with a four-year contract according to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski:
Kyle Lowry has agreed to a 4 year, $48M contract to stay with Toronto, sources tell Yahoo.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 3, 2014
After the big stars like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, many viewed Lowry as the next best player available. The fact that he was an unrestricted free agent made getting him even more attainable.
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With the Lakers struggling at the point guard position for a number of years now, many believed Lowry was a top target of the team, and the Lakers had been linked to him, but never met with him face-to-face.
Lowry enjoyed a career year last season with the Raptors, posting career highs in points, rebounds, and assists while leading the Raptors to an Atlantic Division title and the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
With Lowry now off the market, the Lakers will have to turn elsewhere in free agency as far as point guards are concerned. The best available are Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas, but both of them are restricted, making them more difficult to attain.
Other options for the Lakers include Jameer Nelson, Darren Collison, and Steve Blake, but basically all moves for the Lakers will be put on hold until a decision is made by both Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James. The Lakers are set to meet with Anthony tomorrow and a decision is expected next week.
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