The 76ers have Emerged as the Front-Runners to Sign Lowry if the Veteran Guard is…..

Kyle Lowry could be soon reunited with the coach he won an NBA championship with — Nick Nurse.

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Philadelphia 76ers have emerged as the front-runners to sign Lowry if the veteran guard is bought out by the Charlotte Hornets, who acquired him from the Miami Heat as part of the Terry Rozier trade.

Fischer noted the 37-year-old Lowry is not expected to suit up for the 10-33 Hornets, a team that’s committed to its young core. Instead, the Hornets are looking to either trade Lowry to a playoff contender that can absorb his $29.6 million salary or buy out the final year of his contract.

Besides selling Lowry on the idea of reuniting with Nurse, the Sixers also have the advantage of being one of the few contenders below the first luxury-tax apron. Since Lowry would be eligible to sign a mid-level exception deal ($12.4 million) after being bout out, teams such as the Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks — in the second tax apron — are not eligible to sign Lowry. Similarly, the Sixers are positioned to sign another Hornets buyout candidate, Gordon Hayward, while others above the first tax apron won’t be eligible to.

By joining the Sixers, Lowry — a native of Philadelphia — would be playing for his hometown team for the first time in his career, after stints with the Grizzlies (2006-09), Rockets (2009-12), Raptors (2012-21) and Heat (2021-24).

Lowry was coached by Nurse for three seasons until he joined the Miami Heat at the start of the 2021-22 season. The pair won a championship in their first season together.

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76ers’ Star Joel Embiid Avoids Injury Report vs. Nuggets After Scare

As the Philadelphia 76ers faced the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night, there was a scary sight for the visitors as Philly’s star center Joel Embiid went down while grabbing at his knee after an awkward landing. Considering Embiid’s injury history, any fall is a cause for concern.

Fortunately, Philly’s big man was able to move using his own strength and ended up staying on the court with his team after the incident. Embiid couldn’t do much more to help his team on Thursday night as the Pacers pulled off a 12-point win. Considering it was clear the Sixers’ chances of putting together a comeback were low, Embiid was pulled off the court after a 31-minute shift. He finished the night with 31 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.

This year, Embiid has shown a willingness to continue playing through setbacks. However, on multiple occasions, he would miss the next game and potentially more. Barring any unexpected changes, that won’t be the case on Saturday in Denver. On the Sixers’ early injury report, Embiid’s name is absent, which is a sign he’s available to play. If the All-Star big man gets official clearance as he’s expected to, Embiid will compete in Denver for the first time since November of 2019.

Since that loss on the road against the Nuggets, Embiid has faced Denver on four occasions, including a matchup that occurred last week at home. Every time he went toe-to-toe with the NBA’s most recent champions since 2019, the Sixers were at home. When Embiid and the Sixers hosted the Nuggets on January 16, the seven-time All-Star was participating in his second-straight game after a three-game absence due to knee inflammation.

Embiid checked in for 38 minutes, draining nearly 60 percent of his shots from the field. As he collected 12 points off 15 free throws, Embiid produced 41 points for the second game in a row. With his offensive dominance, the Sixers defeated the Nuggets with a five-point win at home. On Saturday, Embiid and the Sixers will search for the same results in the mile-high city.