DeMar DeRozan is officially a free agent. And apparently his old running buddy Kyle Lowry wants to make sure everyone knows it.
Lowry posted a video on Instagram that looks like a normal golf simulator session at first. But the clip ends with DeRozan calling him on the phone and the screen cuts to black. That’s enough to get Raptors fans talking, especially with DeRozan now on the open market after the Sacramento Kings officially moved on from him Monday.
DeRozan spent nine seasons in Toronto, turning into a fan favorite and one of the league’s most reliable scorers. Between 2013 and 2018, he put up five straight seasons averaging over 20 points per game. Lowry was there for most of it, playing alongside the Compton native from 2012 until DeRozan was traded in 2018. Lowry had his best scoring year with the Raptors in 2016-17, averaging 22.4 points a night.
Here’s where it gets interesting. Toronto just brought back Kawhi Leonard via trade from the Clippers on June 30. Leonard won the Raptors their only NBA title back in 2019. So now you’ve got a team that could theoretically reunite Lowry, DeRozan and Leonard all in the same uniform. That would be one hell of a nostalgia trip and maybe a competitive one too.
The Raptors already surprised some people last season by making the playoffs with a younger roster. But they still have questions. Brandon Ingram was their leading scorer and now he’s heading to the Clippers as part of the Leonard trade. Toronto also has to figure out what to do with RJ Barrett, their second-leading scorer. There’s only so many mouths to feed and so many minutes to go around.
Lowry and DeRozan are both in their late 30s now. Neither one is the superstar they were five years ago. But both can still help a contender. Lowry is a savvy veteran guard who can run an offense and knock down shots. DeRozan is still one of the best mid-range scorers in the league. The Golden State Warriors have been mentioned as a possible landing spot for either player, especially if they don’t land LeBron James this summer.
Then again, maybe the Instagram video is just two old friends messing around. Or maybe Lowry knows something the rest of us don’t. Either way, the NBA rumor mill is spinning and Toronto is right in the middle of it.
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