Sixers

Sixers Bring Back 39-Year-Old Kyle Lowry, Hopefully to be a Glorified Assistant Coach

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Jul 8th, 2025 · 9:23 AM EDT

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Any time you can bring back a guy pushing 40, you have to do it (sarcasm thicker than yo mama) –

Free agent guard Kyle Lowry has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Philadelphia 76ers, Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN. The 2019 champion is back for his 20th NBA season – and a third consecutive year with his hometown 76ers. pic.twitter.com/6Wnw3S9TT3

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 7, 2025

That’s two roster spots now for Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon, who played 35 and 39 games last year. The amount of games they played was more or less the same as their respective ages. Both dealt with injuries and weren’t very effective when they were on the floor. Lowry was dangerously close to being washed when he was acquired in 2024, though he had some decent performances down the stretch and played well in game one against the Knicks. Gordon had a nice run in January, when the season was already lost, and then had to have surgery on his wrist. But the goal is not to have serviceable performances some veterans, the goal is to become “world fucking champions,” as Chase Utley once said.

This is a team that has Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, VJ Edgecombe, and maybe Quentin Grimes in the backcourt, so you’re hoping Gordon and Lowry are just veteran presences or glorified assistant coaches. They exist to help Edgecombe and the young guys and impart some wisdom upon them. If it gets to a point where either one has to play meaningful minutes, wave the white flag. Throw in the towel. Blow it up and start over.