July 07, 2025
Kyle Ross/Imagn Images
Kyle Lowry said after his 19th NBA season that he wanted to play one more season, and do it for his hometown team.
Philadelphia native and 19-year NBA veteran Kyle Lowry is returning to the Sixers on a one-year, veteran's minimum contract, according to a report from Shams Charania of ESPN.
Free agent guard Kyle Lowry has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Philadelphia 76ers, Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN. The 2019 champion is back for his 20th NBA season – and a third consecutive year with his hometown 76ers. pic.twitter.com/6Wnw3S9TT3
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 7, 2025
Lowry, 39, said at the conclusion of his first full season with the Sixers on April 13 that he wanted to play one more NBA campaign, and he wanted to do it for his hometown team. Lowry has a deep connection to the city and a few key members of the organization, including head coach Nick Nurse, star guard Tyrese Maxey and fellow franchise cornerstone Jared McCain.
While Lowry's leadership in the locker room was valued by all of those figures and many others during a nightmarish 24-58 season last year -- count fellow Philadelphia kid Justin Edwards as another player aided by Lowry's presence -- the veteran guard no longer looked like a viable rotation player. His continued athletic decline reached a tipping point, and despite his brilliance and passing skill Lowry is no longer much of a shot creator because he cannot create any sort of advantages off the dribble. He can still help defensively, but in very particular roles that Nurse would have to craft a defense around.
If Lowry ends up giving the Sixers decent minutes at some point in 2025-26, it will not be the most stunning development to ever take place on an NBA floor. But it should not be the expectation. Lowry is a mentor first at this stage of his career, and the Sixers are hoping his leadership can help accelerate a turnaround.
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