NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Kyle Lowry Contract Extension, LaMelo Ball
Kyle Lowry's quiet holdout is apparently over.
According to SportsNet's Michael Grange, Lowry planned on either holding out or forcing a "deal to the destination of his choosing" if he wasn't given an extension by the Toronto Raptors.
The five-time NBA All-Star got his wish.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Raptors point guard agreed to a one-year, $31 million extension.
Lowry is in the final year of his current contract, and the extension takes him off the free-agent market for the summer of 2020.
With the added year on his deal, Lowry has "some control over his destiny" and extends his career with the franchise that gave him the chance to become a star.
Additionally, he won't be under pressure to have a contract year coming off of a thumb injury.
Now, it's just a matter of the veteran guard getting ready to play after choosing not to take part in training camp or the team's two exhibition games in Tokyo.
"We are so appreciative of how Masai and Bobby handled every aspect of this negotiation," Lowry's agent Mark Bartelstein told Wojnarowski. "Once again, they displayed how they look after their players in a first-class manner, especially someone like Kyle who they recognize has such a legacy with the franchise."
For Toronto, who lost its best player in this year's free agency when Kawhi Leonard joined the Los Angeles Clippers, it means granting enough of an investment in their best remaining player to have him fully engaged enough to defend their title without the looming threat of July.
It also gives team president Masai Ujiri a reprieve as he continues to evaluate what the Raptors will look like in the coming years.
The one-year deal puts Toronto in a position to focus on the free-agent market of 2021, when players like Giannis Antetokounmpo will be available.
Lowry has been an integral part of the Raptors' success over the last six seasons, but Ujiri did not want to commit to a long-term deal with a player who will turn 35 before the end of his contract.
Ideally, Lowry would have liked to have gotten a three-year deal, but his agreement was still historic.
According to Wojnarowski, he's the first 33-year old to get an extension that includes a "first-year salary-cap hit north of $30 million."
While Lowry is entering his 14th season in the league, he's shown that he's still at the top of his game.
Last year, he averaged 14.2 points and a career-high 8.7 assists per game.
He also exercised his playoff demons, delivering his best performances in the Finals, scoring 26 points and dishing out 10 assists in the closeout Game 6 against the Golden State Warriors.
All Eyes on LaMelo Ball
Now that LaMelo Ball has catapulted himself into the discussion as a projected No. 1 pick in the 2020 Draft, scouts want to get a closer look.
The NBA announced on Sunday that teams were not allowed to scout Ball and first-round prospect R.J. Hampton's practices this season, putting the brakes on plans to see Hampton in action at the New Zealand Breakers' practice this week in Memphis and Oklahoma City.
But according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the NBA has changed its mind.
Now, teams will be able to get an up-close and personal look at Hampton, "clearing the way" to do the same with Ball.
The original ban was part of the league's no-contact rule.
Under the guideline, teams can't have contact with draft-ineligible players outside of approved settings.
Both Hampton and Ball are still considered ineligible because they have not declared for the 2020 draft.
Ball, who plays for the Illawarra Hawks in the NBL, continues to turn heads as he logged an impressive 12 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four steals in his first regular-season game against the Brisbane Bullets.
The 6'6" point guard has been on a curious basketball journey since his father, Lavar, pulled him out of Chino Hills High in California at 16.
Ball then went to play in Lithuania for the Prienai-Birstonas Vytautas club, forgoing his college eligibility.
Hampton also elected to skip college by signing with the Breakers.
If Ball and Hampton are both successful in getting drafted in the first round, it could mean that other top high school prospects could follow suit in the coming years.
Follow Maurice Bobb on Twitter, @ReeseReport
Statistics obtained from NBA.com
