Report: 76ers may reunite Nick Nurse with former Raptors All-Star

Mar 8, 2020; Sacramento, California, USA; Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse gives instructions during the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia 76ers could be throwing a reunion party for head coach Nick Nurse.

Veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein wrote this week on his Substack page that the Charlotte Hornets are seen as “likely” to buy out former All-Star guard Kyle Lowry, who just arrived in the Terry Rozier trade with the Miami Heat. Stein adds that the 76ers are one team who would be interested in Lowry if he does indeed come to a buyout agreement with Charlotte.

The soon-to-be 38-year-old Lowry will have to give up a good chunk of his $29.7 million salary for this season in any such buyout. But the 76ers check off a whole lot of boxes for him. Lowry is a native of Philadelphia, would get the chance to compete for another NBA title with the 29-15 Sixers, and has a rich past with Nurse. He played with Nurse as his head coach on the Toronto Raptors for three seasons from 2018-21, making multiple All-Star teams and winning the 2019 NBA title. Nurse also coached Lowry on the Raptors for several years prior to that as an assistant.

The Sixers are doing well this season with Patrick Beverley as their backup point guard behind Tyrese Maxey. But Beverley, who is versatile enough to play the 2, isn’t nearly the steady playmaker Lowry is. A post-buyout reunion with Nurse in Philly would seemingly be the perfect match for Lowry (though he is also drawing interest right now from another big-name team).