By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Kyle Lowry talked about his near and distant future after Wednesday’s practice. Recent reports suggest a potential move away from the Toronto Raptors.
Lowry, 34, will become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Amid trade rumors, his near future remains unclear. However, he is committed to concluding his career attached to the Raptors.
“Let me say this: I will retire as a Toronto Raptor,” he promised, relays ESPN.
“What I would like to see is to finish this season out as strong as possible.” he noted, “At the end of the day, myself, my agent, the organization, everyone has to do what’s best for them, right? Everyone has to do what’s best for them, and that situation. Who knows what that is, right? Who knows what that’s going to be, who knows what that time is going to tell? For me, I know I’m still playing at a good enough level where I can help a team, I can help us, and get better.”
“For me, personally, whatever happens, we’ll see,” added Lowry. “I don’t know. We don’t know. Like, honestly, I don’t know. If I could tell you, if I could look at a crystal ball, I would tell you, but I don’t know what the crystal ball says. I don’t what is going to happen. I don’t know what they’re thinking, I’m thinking. We’ll just kind of get to that point and figure it out from there.”
The long-time member of the Raptors also denied telling people he will be traded.
“I don’t really get into that stuff, and it doesn’t bother me because rumors are rumors and they will always be,” he clarified, “But when something is said that doesn’t verbally come from me and I haven’t said anything, that’s when it gets to the point of, ‘Did you have me on record saying that? I want to know who the source is, because the source is me. That stuff is where you kind of defend yourself. I don’t really care about it. It’s just to defend myself for a quick second.”
In his ninth season at the Toronto organization, he has been averaging 18.0 points, 7.0 assists, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per contest. The Raptors sit 8th in the Eastern Conference on a 17-19 record.
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