If you haven’t noticed, the Raptors (somewhat shockingly) have been playing really good basketball the past month and a half with Kyle Lowry sidelined.
DeMar DeRozan has grown even more as a player and become more of a playmaker for others and Cory Joseph has appeared to get his groove back with more opportunity.
The Drakes, excuse me I mean Raptors, are 14-6 without Lowry and have actually gained ground in the eastern conference standings.
That begs the question: Should Toronto re-sign their 31-year-old point guard this summer? General Manager Massai Ujiri, says the answer is a resounding yes.
Here is Ujiri speaking to Scott Stinson of the Toronto Sun about Lowry’s value to the team:
“You have to remember that, everything that has happened to this team in the last few years, Kyle has been at the forefront of that,” Ujiri said.
When he was asked point blank if they would try to re-sign him no matter what this off-season, this is how he answered:
“No question,” Ujiri said. “Before the injury, you could argue he was one of the top five players in the league this season.”
While saying he could have been considered top five is a little much, just write that off as GM speak about a top player to the media. It is true that Lowry’s growth as a player and leader is still the biggest reason the Raptors have become one of the top-tier teams in the conference the past few seasons.
Lowry could make as much as $209 million with a max contract, and in order to re-sign him and Serge Ibaka the Raptors may have to go into the luxury tax, or trade a player like Jonas Valanciunas.
While paying max money to a 31-year-old point guard with some injury concerns creeping up is risky, there will be other teams desperate for a point guard and leader who will do it such as the Knicks and 76ers.
The Raptors need to decide if being a 50-55 win team with a ceiling on the conference finals for the next few seasons is worth the luxury tax and cap inflexibility for a while.
I think they do.
