Kyle Lowry could be facing the end of his career following trade to Charlotte

Lowry is in the final year of his three-year $85M deal. He will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Given his age and clear decline, Lowry could be looking at the end of the road. Sure, he will get minutes this season; Charlotte will either play him, flip him, or buy him out, where a contending team may view him as an upgrade for its bench unit. 

It's worth noting that not every team would be able to acquire Lowry on the buy-out market. As part of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams over the second tax apron would be unable to sign him to a deal. The rule states that second-apron teams cannot sign buy-out players who were earning above the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception. Currently, the second apron teams are: 

• Boston Celtics
• Denver Nuggets 
• Golden State Warriors
• LA Clippers
• Miami Heat
• Milwaukee Bucks
• Phoenix Suns

The issues will come for Lowry during the summer. He will be entering his age-38 season. The aging process has robbed him of his electric first step. He struggles to navigate screens with speed and precision. And his offensive output is decreasing as defenders find it easier to stay in front of him. When the summer comes, it may be time for Lowry to call it a day.

An 18-year NBA career is a major accomplishment. In that time, Lowry has been named as an All-Star on six occasions. He has made 130 playoff appearances. He won a championship in 2019 with the Toronto Raptors. Lowry has had an amazing career. There's no harm in admitting that the time has come to call it a day. 

With that in mind, it would be fitting if he found his way back to the Toronto Raptors to end the season. He would have a chance to retire with the team he won a championship with and help impart some veteran knowledge to the team's young core. 

Regardless of what happens between now and the summer, it's going to be interesting to see if Lowry finds another opportunity in the NBA.