Should Los Angeles Lakers Pursue Kyle Lowry in 2014 Free Agency?

It's a good thing for Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry that his breakout season came in a contract year, but at the same time, he's not exactly entering a buyer's market for point guards. With the Los Angeles Lakers being one of only a few teams in need of a starter at that position, Lowry may not spark the bidding war in free agency one would expect.

What Lowry has been able to accomplish this year has been impressive though, without question. When it looked like Toronto Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri was going to sell off parts and rebuild, Lowry held things together after the Rudy Gay trade and unexpectedly filled a role as a leader.

While no one has ever doubted Lowry's talent, he's come a long way by addressing previous questions about his attitude. Lowry has matured and grown into a more stable personality while keeping his play as dynamic as ever. He's finally put it all together.

Lowry's ability to lift up an entire franchise is awfully appealing, particularly for teams that need talent wherever they can find it. Here's Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports with more:

For the season, Lowry's been magnificent, averaging 17.2 points, 7.9 assists and 4.7 rebounds. Across the past 15 games, he been even better: 19 points, 9.3 assists and 5.7 rebounds. Most of all, the Raptors are winning – 37-29 and in third place in the Eastern Conference.

Ujiri passed on a chance to trade Lowry at the deadline, and wants to sign him to a long-term extension this summer. Lowry could command $10-12 million a year on the market, especially in a summer where the Los Angeles Lakers have cap space and a running mate for Kobe Bryant.

Interestingly enough, this isn't the first time we've heard Lowry's name attached to the Lakers. Earlier this season, Ken Berger of CBS Sports reported this:

In fact, league sources say the Lakers lodged an inquiry with Toronto about a dea...