After nine seasons in Toronto, Lowry signed a three-year, $85 million contract with Miami last summer. The now-36-year-old point guard saw a reduced role on the Heat, sharing more responsibilities with Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo. Lowry's 18.2 percent usage rate was his lowest since his third year in the NBA, and his 13.4 points per game were his fewest since 2009-10. However, his efficiency remained strong, as his 60.0 percent true shooting mark on 44/38/85 splits was the second highest of his career. Lowry also contributed 7.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 33.9 minutes. The result was Lowry ranking 51st in per-game fantasy production for eight-category leagues -- a solid mark but his lowest since 2012-13. His role should remain similar this season, as the Heat made few offseason changes. Another year older also puts Lowry at increased risk of injury and rest, plus general regression. As a result, fantasy managers likely won't have to pay up to the fifth round for Lowry, but he still provides a nice floor as a three-point shooter and passer.
Last season, Lowry missed out on his first All-Star game since 2013-14. It was also his worst per-game fantasy rank (38) since 2012-13 (57) -- his first season in Toronto. Still, he was one of the better point guards in fantasy to have last season aside from his 46 games played, as he posted 17.2 points, 7.3 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 34.8 minutes. And it was the third-most efficient season of his career by true shooting percentage (59.3) behind splits of 44/40/88. Lowry will be on a new team in 2021-22, as he was part of a sign-and-trade that landed him in Miami on a three-year, $85 million deal. Lowry joins up with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo to make up one of the league's better Big 3s. Given the surrounding talent on the Heat -- including some good depth like Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo -- it's possible we see Lowry's usage take a dip. Plus, Lowry is 35 years old and hasn't been especially healthy throughout his career, so some plays off would certainly be a benefit for the veteran. Given his age, injury history and team context, Lowry won't be a hot commodity come draft day, but he still commands attention after the third round.
With Kawhi Leonard leaving Toronto for Los Angeles, Lowry took on an expanded scoring role in 2019-20, averaging 19.4 points per game -- his highest mark since the 2016-17 campaign. The veteran point guard also added 7.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 2.8 threes and 1.4 steals in 36.2 minutes. The result was Lowry ranking as the 20th-best fantasy asset on a per-game basis in eight-category leagues -- again his best mark since the 2016-17 season. Heading into 2020-21, it's not easy to predict what Lowry's role will be, as it could depend on the direction the Raptors end up taking. He'll also be entering the final year of his contract and could be a trade candidate at 34 years old on a team that's increasingly getting younger. And at his age, it remains to be seen what kind of workload he can continue carrying, as he's been averaging 35.3 minutes per game across the past seven years and has missed significant time with injury before. As a result, it's tough to gauge where Lowry should be drafted. His most recent season suggests he's a clear second-round option, but age, injury history and role concerns means it would be surprising if he reached the heights he did in 2019-20.
It's not too surprising that this past season Lowry averaged his lowest points per game (14.2) since 2010-11 with the Rockets, as the point guard was joined by ball-dominant scorer Kawhi Leonard for the team's championship run. However, with the uptick in talent surrounding him last season, Lowry did average a career-high 8.7 assists per game. Now, entering his 14th NBA season, not only is Leonard gone, but so is sharp-shooter Danny Green, and Lowry may once again have to shoulder a larger offensive load at 33 years old. While that may add to Lowry's fantasy upside, it's unclear if the aging point guard has the ability to do so over the course of an 82-game season. Lowry is coming off a year where he shot just 34.7 percent from behind the arc, which is a significant drop in accuracy for a player who had shot 40.4 percent from deep over the course of his last three seasons. Also, with young point guard Fred VanVleet having a breakout 2018-19 campaign and a historic postseason, the Raptors now have the ability to put a limit on Lowry's regular-season. All things considered, if Lowry can stay healthy, he has the potential to increase his fantasy value given a presumed higher usage rate.
After playing just 60 games during the 2016-17 campaign, Lowry put together a relatively healthy season in 2017-18, seeing action in 78 of a possible 82 regular-season contests. However, the 32-year-old was monitored closely throughout the year and head coach Dwane Casey opted to lessen Lowry's workload to make sure he could keep his veteran point guard at full strength. Lowry averaged just 32.2 minutes per game -- down from 37.4 minutes a year prior -- signifying his lowest mark since the 2012-13 campaign. That decrease in playing time unsurprisingly meant his numbers were going to fall across the board, though most notably was Lowry's scoring, which fell to 16.2 points per game after averaging a career-high 22.4 a year prior. He still shot a solid 42.7 percent from the field and 39.9 percent from deep, but took only 12.1 field goal attempts, a distant second to DeMar DeRozan's 17.7. Lowry did become a more active rebounder with a career-high 5.6 rebounds, in addition to 6.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 3.1 three-pointers, all of which boosted his multi-category production and earned him his fourth straight All-Star appearance. Of course, the season was still a disappointment, as the Raptors were swept by the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. That prompted the organization to make a splash on the trade market this summer, dealing DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl to the Spurs in exchange for superstar Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. In Leonard's last full season (he played just nine games last year), he put up 17.7 shot attempts per game, which was identical to DeRozan's numbers from 2017-18. As a result, it's safe to assume Lowry's touches and attempts shouldn't be drastically impacted. In addition, Leonard is a more efficient player that has better range than DeRozan, so he'll draw even more of the defensive attention, which allows Lowry more open looks and better pathways to the rim. With all that said, Lowry appears to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of Leonard's addition when looking at the roster, so it wouldn't be surprising if he saw a slight uptick in his production across the board, especially on the offensive side of the ball. That should keep Lowry as a borderline top-10 point guard in Fantasy leagues, as his well-rounded game and solid percentages should help chip away at deficits throughout the season.
Despite turning 30 years old, Lowry once again took his game to another level during the 2016-17 campaign, earning his third straight NBA All-Star appearance in the process. He shot career-highs with 46.4 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from the three-point line, which translated to 22.4 points per game, also a career high. His additional scoring load didn't take away from his ability to be one of the best distributors in the NBA either, as he dished out 7.0 assists per contest -- his best mark since the 2013-14 season -- while also adding 4.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 3.2 three-pointers across 37.4 minutes. With both Lowry and Serge Ibaka free agents this offseason, the Raptors took their time contemplating whether this group of players could get Toronto over the hump and beat the likes of the Cavaliers and Celtics in the Eastern Conference playoffs. However, they ultimately felt it was in the their best interest to re-sign both, with Lowry coming home with a monster three-year, $100 million contract extension and Ibaka grabbing a three-year, $65 million deal. Ibaka's presence as a floor-stretching big should do wonders for opening up the floor once again, allowing Lowry and DeMar DeRozan to form one of the best playmaking backcourts in the NBA. With nearly the entire roster back from last year's semifinals run, Lowry shouldn't see a drastic change in his overall production. It may be tough for him to match his impressive numbers from deep, but if everything else stays relativly the same, Lowry should be a top-10 Fantasy point guard once again.
No player was more integral than Lowry to the Raptors’ franchise-record 56-win season, which culminated in a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. Lowry had already established himself as an upper-tier point guard with back-to-back seasons in which he averaged just under 18 points per game, but he was finally able to crack an All-NBA team in 2015-16 after bumping up his scoring to a career-high 21.2 points per game. Additionally, Lowry chipped in 6.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 2.8 three-pointers and 2.1 steals in 37.0 minutes per game, making him a well-rounded producer for his fantasy owners. Lowry’s huge minutes load appeared to eventually catch up with him late in the season and playoffs when he battled a sore elbow, but his ability to hit big shots and ignite the team when the offense stagnated left the Raptors content to live and die by him. At 30 years old, Lowry may have fewer All-Star years left in him than some of the other top point guards, but a dramatic backslide shouldn’t begin in 2016-17. With the ability to opt of his contract after the season and pursue a max deal, Lowry has plenty of incentive to continue attacking the rim at will and putting up three-point attempts, especially if he’s able to stick around last season’s career-best 38.8 percent mark from distance.
Expectations were high for Lowry coming off a career year, and for a while, he was meeting and even exceeding them, but injuries ground him down and by the time the playoffs rolled around he was a shell of his normal self. His final numbers were similar to 2013-14, as he averaged 35 minutes, 17.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.2 blocks, and 1.9 three-pointers while shooting 41 percent from the floor, 34 percent from three-point range, and 81 percent from the free-throw line in 70 games, but his numbers before and after the All-Star break were night and day as his points, assists, and field goal percentage all suffered significant drops in the second half. Lowry's small stature and pugnacious, full-throttle playing style is always going to leave him susceptible to bumps and bruises, so Raptors GM Masai Ujiri spent the offseason bringing in players better suited to taking some of the load off Lowry's shoulders, signing Canadian combo guard Cory Joseph away from the Spurs and drafting defensive-minded point guard Delon Wright. The reinforcements may not result in a decrease in Lowry's court time given how key he is to the team's success, but they do leave the club in a better position to handle his seemingly inevitable absences.
Lowry seemed like a sure bet to get dealt to a contender last season, but a funny thing happened. He matured, both on and off the court, and took charge of a Raptors team that surprised everyone and made the postseason for the first time since the 2007-08 season. Impressed with Lowry's production, general manager Masai Ujiri signed him to a four-year, $48 million contract on the second day of free agency to keep him in Toronto as the Raptors' starting point guard. Lowry will look to build on a campaign in which he started a career-high 79 games and averaged career-highs of 17.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2.4 three-pointers in 36 minutes per game while shooting 42 percent from the floor, 38 percent from beyond the arc, and 81 percent from the free-throw line. His uptempo, bulldog style fits well with DeMar DeRozan, Terrence Ross, and Amir Johnson, and as one of the (relatively speaking) grizzled veterans on a young, athletic roster, the only thing standing between Lowry and another strong fantasy season is his ability to stay healthy.
It's put up or shut up time for Kyle Lowry. After years being stuck in job-shares, he was finally handed the keys to an offense of his own last season when the Raptors dealt Jose Calderon. And just like a new driver given the keys to dad's car, he hit a curb, scratched up the bumper and left the thing with no gas at all. Limited – as is his wont – by a series of nagging injuries, Lowry finished the season with a four-year low scoring average of 11.6 ppg to go with 6.4 assists and 4.7 boards per game, shooting 40 percent from the floor. And despite the fact that he was Toronto's nominal starter for much of the season, his minute-per-game average dropped to 30. There was talk that new general manager Masai Ujiri would look for help at the point guard spot this summer, but for now, the job belongs to Lowry, and apart from D.J. Augustin, who is more of a scorer than floor general, there really isn't an established alternative on Toronto's roster. Lowry has reportedly dropped 10-to-15 pounds in the hopes of staying healthy this season. He should have plenty of motivation; his contract expires after this season. If he struggles to stay on the floor again, he could factor into a lot of trade rumors come February.
Kyle Lowry is one of the NBA's biggest teases. He always plays well when given an opportunity, but always seems to get stuck in a platoon. Last year was another great example. Lowry was playing at an All-Star level, but wound up clashing with Rockets coach Kevin McHale--and missing time due to a sports hernia. He became "Plan B" for Toronto when they lost out on Steve Nash, and could thrive as the Raptors' lead guard, but general manager Bryan Colangelo still hasn't resolved Jose Calderon's status. It seems unlikely that the Raptors will pay the Spaniard over $10 million to sit on the bench. As such, Lowry could be stuck in yet another job share--at least until Colangelo can move Calderon's deal, which expires after this season. Lowry is a very good rebounder for his size and position.
Lowry has been teasing us with his potential for years, but only in limited opportunities as a backup to Mike Conley Jr., Aaron Brooks and others. When Brooks sprained his ankle last November, Lowry finally got the opportunity to run a team on a full-time basis. And he made the most of it, playing well enough to make Brooks expendable; 2010�s most-improved player was dealt to Phoenix for a draft pick in February. Lowry closed out his first season as a full-time starter with impressive averages of 13.5 points, 6.7 assists, 4.1 boards and 1.4 steals in just over 34 minutes per game, and shot a respectable .426 from the floor and .376 from three. He�ll go into training camp as the top name on Kevin McHale�s point guard depth chart. One area of concern � Lowry�s three-point percentage last season was more than 100 points higher than the previous year, and well above his career average of .317. If he regresses to the numbers we�ve seen for most of his career, his value would take a significant hit.
Lowry is once again set to backup point guard Aaron Brooks in Houston. He has shown an ability to rack up decent stats in limited minutes before, but Lowry will likely need an injury to Brooks in order to fulfill his fantasy potential.
Houston's backup point guard lacks the jaw-dropping quickness of teammate Aaron Brooks, but he's an efficient, pass-first floor general who makes good decisions and understands the game. Lowry should have a significant role in the rotation from the outset, and if Brooks struggles to build on last year's success, Lowry could even take over.
Lowry was largely a reserve for the Grizzlies last season, but was able to make a few starts at each of the guard positions, but is more of a one guard than two. He is a bit small but possesses great speed and athletic ability. It's too bad that Mike Conley sits above him on the depth chart, as Lowry has proven that he can put up numbers when given the minutes (14.5 points, 4.67 assists, 1.5 when playing more than 30 minutes). Javaris Crittenton's emergence last season doesn't help Lowry's cause and may make him expendable at some point during the season. He's a sleeper if he ends up in a favorable situation or if Conley goes down.
Lowry played in only 10 games his rookie season before breaking his wrist. Though Lowry did show some potential in his brief rookie campaign, the addition of Mike Conley, Jr. means he won't see a whole lot of time on the court. He will still get some time in the rotation - more if Damon Stoudamire is traded at some point.
