TAMPA, FLORIDA - APRIL 21: Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors handles the ball during the second quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Amalie Arena on April 21, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
The Toronto Raptors, once habitual presences in the playoffs, couldn’t have picked a worse year to bottom out. With Kyle Lowry potentially leaving Canada for the first time in almost a decade, the Raptors didn’t make the most convincing of pitches to coax him into staying.