Kyle Lowry is a well respected 19-year NBA veteran and one-time champion. As a six-time All-Star, Lowry’s winning pedigree has been proven during the course of his career. However, recent play over the years have shown a rapid decline in the 38 year-old point guard.
During the 2021 offseason, the Miami Heat signed Lowry to a three-year $85 million contract. As a close friend of Jimmy Butler and sporting an impressive resume, he was expected to instantly become a part of the team’s core amidst a championship window. Lowry played a part in two deep playoff runs for Miami, and even looked like one of their best players at the beginning of the 2021-22 campaign.
He averaged 13.4 points, 7.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds as the Heat’s “QB1” during that season. His ability to orchestrate offense and provide leadership on and off the court made the signing seem smart early on. But then Father Time had other plans.
Those stats decreased dramatically, especially in shooting efficiency, the following two seasons of his South Beach tenure. It got to a point where the Heat had over $25 million invested in a player that was putting up 8.2 points, until they finally shipped him out to acquire Terry Rozier prior to the 2024 trade deadline. Lowry’s contract was so unattractive to rival teams that Miami’s front office had to attach a first round draft-pick just to unload his expiring salary.
The Charlotte Hornets ultimately bought out the aging guard, who did not fit their retooling timeline. He then joined his hometown Philadelphia 76ers off the buyout market, and then re-signed on a veteran minimum deal for this season. Although Nick Nurse, among many involved with the 76ers organization, are witnessing just how bad his decline has been.
Kyle Lowry is averaging 4.5 points, 2.7 assists and 1.9 rebounds on 36% shooting (all career-lows) during this season.
It is fair to say that the 2024-25 season has not treated Lowry well. He somehow still played a role in the 76ers rotation last year until they were eliminated in six games of the first round, courtesy of the New York Knicks. Currently, he is averaging nearly 20 minutes of playing time per game, which is good for the lowest since his rookie year back in 2006.
It is a shame to see Lowry become such a non-factor for a playoff contending team. At the end of the day, he still has that same strong basketball IQ, but he has clearly become much more limited physically. He is a step behind defensively, and his offensive struggles are slowly making him unplayable. Injuries to the Philadelphia roster may be the only reason that he has received any playing time at all now.
Whenever Lowry checks into the game, it seems like the only attribute he can still add to a team is complaining about foul calls (which Heat fans know all too well). At this stage of his career, the two-way impact just isn’t there anymore.
Miami is dealing with second thoughts on that Lowry/Rozier trade themselves, considering they could’ve let his contract expire at the end of last season to gain more financial flexibility in free agency. Rozier hasn’t exactly found his footing with the Heat rotation either, even though it still may be early and he comes at a younger age. Offloading Lowry was a priority regardless of any outcome that could’ve played out, who underperformed for most of his three-year contract here.
He provided the Heat with postseason memories and a pair of runs that featured him being a key contributor. The problem was that his declining production never justified the salary he was earning. Now it isn’t nearly as much of an issue with Philadelphia on a minimum deal, yet it is still not enough.
Perhaps the former All-Star can find his way back to the Toronto Raptors for a proper send off for next season, but retirement for the veteran is surely on the horizon.