Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry will opt out of the final year of his deal to test the free agent waters next summer.
The All-Star says he hopes for a long-term future in Toronto.
Toronto's Kyle Lowry (@Klow7) sits down with @WojVerticalNBA on opt-out plans in '17, free agency and chasing Cavs. https://t.co/Y95bxEfjPT
— The Vertical (@TheVertical) October 5, 2016
Lowry, 30, hopes the contract negotiations will be a smooth process:
Lowry plans to opt out of the final year of his contract, he told The Vertical, passing on a $12 million salary in 2017-18 to join a point-guard marketplace that will include the Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul and Golden State’s Steph Curry, who has already said he plans to re-sign with the Warriors.
As an organization, the Raptors have richly rewarded those responsible for the franchise’s unprecedented success: From DeMar DeRozan’s five-year, $139 million extension in July, to the extensions and high-end raises for president Masai Ujiri and coach Dwane Casey, Toronto conducts itself as a legitimate big-market powerhouse.
“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. … For me, I think that at 12:01 a.m. on July 1 – something should be close. If not, I’m open to seeing what else is out there.”
