Hornets guard Kyle Lowry agrees to a buyout and joins the 76ers

Charlotte Hornets guard Kyle Lowry has agreed to a contract buyout, paving the way for him to sign for the rest of the season with the Philadelphia 76ers, his representative Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports told ESPN on Saturday night.

Bartelstein told ESPN that once Lowry clears waivers in the coming days, he will sign a $2.8 million deal with the Sixers.

Lowry – a six-time All-Star guard – had long hoped to play for the 76ers in his hometown, and now the graduate of Cardinal Dougherty High School and Villanova University will get his chance to make a playoff push with his former longtime coach, Nick Nurse.

The Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Pelicans were among the teams that were hoping to pursue Lowry once he received a buyout, sources said. However, the opportunity to finally fulfill the wish of a lifetime was too much to pass up.

Lowry landed with the Hornets as part of the Terry Rozier trade last month from Miami, and both Charlotte and Lowry agreed he would sit until after the trade deadline. Lowry had $10.6 million remaining on his $29.7 million deal for 2023-2024 before the buyout with the Hornets.

Lowry will join a reshaped Sixers roster after the trade that includes guard Buddy Hield — and they'll try to help keep the Sixers in strong playoff shape until the eventual return of MVP center Joel Embiid, who is out several weeks after leaving knee surgery.