No. 3: PG Kyle Lowry
Lowry’s stats this year are as excellent as ever, as the 35-year-old is averaging 17.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per contest. While Lowry will get a bag at some point in the offseason, likely from a contending team, his next deal will be WELL short of the $30 million he is making with Toronto this season.
Lowry has played in just 46 games this season, with a foot infection and pre-determined rest serving as a few of the myriad amount of reasons that he has missed games. Lowry’s second contract will not only be much less than what his final Raptors contract looks like, but it might only be a one-year deal, as teams might be a bit nervous about giving him multiple years.
Kyle Lowry might not get a huge deal next year.
The likes of LeBron James continuing to excel into his later years shows that Lowry might be able to sustain his production, cases like LeBron are unlikely, and Lowry’s increased injury rate might make it tougher to get teams to overhaul their roster in order to bring him in.
Father Time is undefeated, and age appears to be making Lowry’s body slightly more brittle. Teams will be willing to give him plenty of money in order to take them over the top in a potential title chance, but Lowry might not get a deal that is as long or lucrative as he hoped considering how much time he has missed.