ABOVE: Raptors guard Kyle Lowry told reporters at his press conference Thursday that “…everyone says Toronto can’t sign back their own free agents, but I just proved that wrong. I’m back.”
TORONTO – The Toronto Raptors have officially re-signed star point guard Kyle Lowry.
The announcement was made at the Real Sports Bar and Grill in Maple Leaf Square Thursday morning alongside team president and general manager Masai Ujiri.
“For us to have a fighter, a bull-dog, a leader. Somebody that went through growing pains,” Ujiri said. “To stand up as a man and make a decision, one day after free agency started, says a whole lot about this person who sits beside me.”
Prior to the media event, the club released a video on Twitter of Lowry signing his contract surrounded by family members.
The veteran point guard led the team to their first post-season appearance in five years.
“For me, just coming back here and wanting to do something special,” said Lowry. “We’re all motivated by last year and I know we’re all getting better.”
Lowry’s deal is reportedly worth US$48 million through four years with an opt-out after the third year.
Re-signing Lowry, the top point guard available in NBA free agency, was a No. 1 priority for the Raptors after a stellar season.
“The process was a difficult one, but at the end of the day it was an easy one. The best one,” Lowry said. “It was easy to come back here. Masai, he made it easy.”
The club finished a franchise-best 46-34 in the regular season to win the Atlantic Division before losing in seven games to Brooklyn in the first round of the playoffs.
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The 28-year-old averaged career highs with 17.9 points-per-game and 7.4 assists-per-game.
The six-foot, 205-pound player was acquired by Toronto in a 2012 trade with Houston.
With files from The Canadian Press
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