Sixers to re-sign Kyle Lowry to one-year deal

The Sixers are re-signing veteran point guard Kyle Lowry to a one-year deal, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Lowry enjoyed a blistering start shooting the ball last season, but quickly fell back to earth and never quite recovered. Between receiving the tender, loving care that comes with being 39 years old and simply having injuries that took significant time to heal, Lowry played in just 35 games last season.

For the most part, he looked every bit of a small, older guard when he did play, leaving many to wonder whether it was his last tour around the league. At his exit interview, Lowry told reporters that he wanted to play one more season, and that he hoped it would be in his hometown Philadelphia.

Most everyone, from the organization to its disenchanted supporters, wanted to get younger this offseason. Between free-agency additions and the draft, the team has brought its aging curve downward. But between Lowry and bringing Eric Gordon back, the message being sent is that they're mostly content with rolling the dice on last year's team again, betting that the injury luck will go the other way next time.

But zooming out for a moment, four things have been true for quite some time. First, the fans do not want to run this group back. Second, at least a vocal minority would like to see them move on from Joel Embiid. Third, the Sixers have said publicly that they remain committed to their current core. Four, Tyrese Maxey has emerged as the leader of the team over the last year.

Unless you're advocating for a total teardown of the team (which seems unnecessary), you need to empower Maxey, Jared McCain, VJ Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes as much as possible as you slowly inch away from relying so much on Embiid and more toward a guard-centric plan.

It is no secret that Lowry has developed strong relationships with Maxey and McCain. So if keeping the player doubling as a coach around for another season serves as an investment in the franchise's future more than anything else, is it that bad of an idea?

The only element that can poison the dynamic is Nick Nurse relying on his trusted veteran to play big minutes, especially if those minutes mean less time for McCain, Edgecombe or Grimes. Then, it's a problem. If Daryl Morey and company trust Nurse to be realistic about Lowry's impact on the court, it's acceptable.

But while the franchise is living on two timelines, the point of having mentors around for the young guys is to pay dividends behind the scenes.