Hornets Expect Resolution on Potential 76ers Buyout Candidate Soon

By now, it’s no secret the Philadelphia 76ers are expected to pursue former Miami Heat guard Kyle Lowry in the NBA’s buyout market if he’s indeed available soon.

A couple of weeks ago, Lowry found himself traded after appearing in 37 games for the Heat. In a blockbuster deal centered around the guard Terry Rozier, the Heat packaged Lowry to join the Charlotte Hornets.

While a 37-year-old Lowry could still bring value to a team with a fighting chance, the Hornets don’t necessarily match his timeline. With a 10-40 record, the Hornets place 13th in the Eastern Conference in front of the Washington Wizards and the Detroit Pistons, who have a combined 17 wins this year.

The league-wide assumption was that the Hornets would keep Lowry on board leading into the trade deadline, holding out hope for the possibility of gaining value for him in a trade rather than losing him to the buyout market. With the deadline in the rearview, the Hornets didn’t manage to find a trade partner to land Lowry on his current contract.

What’s next? The Hornets haven’t offered clarity on the next steps for Lowry, but the team’s General Manager Mitch Kupchak made it known that there should be a resolution sometime this weekend, according to AllHornets’ James Plowright.

As the Sixers navigated through the trade deadline, they were rumored to be keeping an eye on Lowry as a potential addition beyond Thursday. Considering the connection between Lowry, Daryl Morey, Nick Nurse, and the city of Philadelphia, it’s easy to connect the dots and see why there could be a mutual interest there.

The 76ers landed help at the point guard position by snagging Cameron Payne from the Milwaukee Bucks, but they gave up another guard in the deal to get it done, shipping out Patrick Beverley.

With some extra roster spots created this week, the Sixers will more than likely consider reuniting Nurse and Lowry a few seasons after the veteran guard wrapped up his tenure with the Raptors.