July 02, 2026
Kyle Lowry, 40, will sign a one-day contract with the Toronto Raptors and retire after 20 seasons in the NBA, according to a report from Michael Grange of Sportsnet.
An NBA champion with the Raptors – Lowry is considered the greatest player in the history of the franchise and was given a ceremonious sendoff in his final game in Toronto in January – spent the final two-plus seasons of his career with his hometown team. Lowry reunited with Sixers head coach Nick Nurse, who led the Raptors to their title with Lowry as his trusted star point guard.
A native of North Philadelphia and a product of Villanova, Lowry said at the end of the 2024-25 season that he hoped to play one more season for his hometown team, for which he has served as an extremely valuable leader for Tyrese Maxey and a host of young players. He had little to no utility as a basketball player in his final season, but his mind for the game and leadership chops made him an invaluable part of the Sixers' locker room, credited by each and every teammate as a pillar of the team's camaraderie.
Only 53 players have appeared in more NBA games than Lowry between the regular season and playoffs. Lowry, a six-time All-Star whose two decades in the league included stops with the Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Raptors, Miami Heat and Sixers, played in 1,187 regular-season games and 138 playoff games. He has the eighth-most assists in league history and the 14th-most three-pointers.
