Kyle Lowry is getting the kind of sendoff that fits his place in Raptors history.
Toronto has scheduled a jersey retirement ceremony for Lowry during the upcoming season, with No. 7 set to go up into the rafters when the Raptors face the Philadelphia 76ers. The matchup makes sense on a few levels: Lowry is a Philadelphia native, and he spent the past three seasons with the 76ers before announcing his retirement.
For Raptors fans, the date only sharpens what already felt inevitable. Lowry isn’t just getting honored as a former star; he’s being recognized as one of the defining players in franchise history. He helped anchor some of Toronto’s best teams and was a central figure in the run that ended with the franchise’s first NBA championship in 2019.
His numbers back up the legacy. Lowry still owns the franchise records in assists, steals and 3-point field goals made, and he finished his Raptors career with averages of 17.5 points, 7.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds across 601 games.
“I’ve been looking forward to this moment for years. I always said that Toronto is home, and that I’d retire a Raptor, and to see my No. 7 go up in that building is going to mean everything to me,” Lowry said.
“We built something special here - my teammates, the organization, the city and the fans, and all of Canada. We became champions together, and to be able to share this night with all of them, and with my family, is going to mean a lot to me.”
Toronto is also planning to honor him with his own personal logo as part of the celebration. It’s a fitting touch for a player who left a permanent mark on the franchise.
In Other News...
Raptors Suddenly Face A Bigger RJ Barrett Question
Shaedon Sharpes knee injury has already started to ripple beyond Portland, and for the Raptors it adds another layer of intrigue to an offseason that was already centered on roster fit and future flexibility. Any time a team with young wings and trade questions loses a key piece, the market around it shifts, and Torontos name can quickly get pulled into the conversation because RJ Barrett remains one of the more obvious movable veterans on the roster.
Barretts situation was already unsettled before this latest wrinkle, with Toronto still weighing how he fits long term. Now, with Portlands need potentially changing, the Raptors have another possible trade path to consider, and the discussion could even overlap with a name like Jrue Holiday if the Blazers decide to reshape things more aggressively. None of that is set in stone yet, but it is another reminder that Torontos summer decisions may be influenced as much by what happens elsewhere as by anything on its own depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Are Facing An Ugly Reality With Immanuel Quickley
The market around young, talented guards and wings has started to look a lot friendlier for teams than it did when Toronto made its big bet on Immanuel Quickley. Around the league, Bennedict Mathurin is headed to New Orleans on a two-year, $16 million deal with a player option for the second season, while Jonathan Kuminga is reportedly on his way to Minnesota on a two-year, $13 million pact with the same kind of flexibility. Those are the kinds of short-term numbers that can make front offices breathe easier, especially when a player is still proving where he fits.
For the Raptors, though, the timing only sharpens the pressure around Quickleys place in the roster picture. Toronto already committed to him on a much larger deal, and every new bargain elsewhere invites the same uncomfortable question about how much upside a team should pay for before it becomes expensive to wait. It leaves the Raptors in a spot where they need Quickley to look more like a cornerstone than a cost, because the league is providing plenty of reminders that not every promising young player has to be priced like one. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Face A Brutal New Problem Against The NBA's Best
Darko Rajakovics latest podcast appearance offered a reminder of the scale of the challenge facing the Raptors whenever they run into the leagues elite. The Toronto coach pointed to the kind of stars who can warp a game plan by themselves, including Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama and LeBron James, and framed the problem as less about finding a perfect answer than about surviving possessions with discipline and help defense.
Rajakovic said the Raptors can only do so much against players of that caliber, especially when a matchup tilts toward a teammate-dependent effort instead of a clean one-on-one solution. He also noted the ripple effect of James moving to the Eastern Conference with the Philadelphia 76ers, a change that could only make Torontos path through the East more complicated if the veteran forward remains anywhere near his usual level. [Read more 🡒]