Toronto Raptors have big plans to announce Kyle Lowry's retirement

Kyle Lowry is coming home.

It appears the greatest Raptor of all-time is set to sign a one-day contract that will allow him to retire as a member of the Toronto Raptors. 

The team plans to hold a press conference on Tuesday, July 7, according to Sportsnet's Michael Grange, calling it a "monumental moment" in Raptors history. It is expected that the Raptors will officially announce Lowry's retirement. The Raptors are also expected to announce that Lowry's No. 7 jersey will head to the rafters at Scotiabank Arena. Lowry will join Vince Carter as the only other player in Raptors history to have his jersey retired.

Retiring as a Raptor has been in the cards for a while now. Lowry made it clear he planned to do so in 2021, before he had even been traded by the Raptors.

"Let me say this, I will retire as a Toronto Raptor," Lowry told reporters at the time. "That, if I'm here, I will retire as a Toronto Raptor. You know, one-day contract, hey, whatever happens."

Lowry spent nine seasons in Toronto from 2012 to 2021, during which time he was named an All-Star on six occasions.

While Lowry had several highlights throughout his lengthy Raptors tenure, the pinnacle for him and the fan base came in 2019 when he helped lead the organization to its first NBA championship. He appeared in all 24 games during that run, averaging 15 points and 6.6 assists.

Lowry ranks first all-time in franchise history with 4,277 assists, second all-time in games played (601), and second all-time in points (10,540).