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Lowry ready to work, says relationship with DeRozan is 'bigger than basketball'

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TORONTO — If Kyle Lowry has any misgivings about the off-season trade that sent his best friend out of town, he's keeping them to himself.

Lowry avoided the spotlight throughout the summer, never addressing whether his relationship with Raptors president Masai Ujiri had soured after the blockbuster deal that sent guard DeMar DeRozan to San Antonio for forward Kawhi Leonard.

When Lowry finally stepped in front of the cameras at the Raptors' media day on Monday, he was peppered with questions about Ujiri, Leonard, new head coach Nick Nurse, and how much the team has changed since Toronto was eliminated from the NBA playoffs on May 7.

"I just got here," said Lowry with a laugh in response to one reporter. "I just got here, man."

The four-time NBA all-star said he hasn't spoken with Nurse since he was named Dwane Casey's replacement as Raptors head coach on June 14. Lowry also said he hadn't spoken with Leonard until Monday morning, despite the two-time defensive player of the year officially joining the team on July 18.

Lowry insisted that it's not a reflection of how he feels about the changes or the Raptors as an organization.

"I never speak in summer. I'm a very quiet guy in summer," said Lowry. "My whole life isn't on social media, I don't put nothing on social media unless it's my kids. For me, it was the same summer for me. It was just going out there, get better, do what I need to do, come back in shape, get healthier, and be ready to go. You never hear from me.

"Go back to the tape, can't be tape but I don't ever speak in summers just because I'm out there working and grinding and preparing for next year."

Lowry did keep in touch with one person over the off-season.

"My best friend, our relationship is bigger than basketball. I talked to (DeRozan) last night. We talked about life," said Lowry. "That's still my boy. At the end of the day, I'm coming here to work. I've done that every year since I've been here. Another year, another day to try to get better, another year to try to win a gold trophy."

The 32-year-old Lowry averaged 16.2 points, 6.9 assists and 5.6 rebounds last season. Because of his age, Lowry said he put an emphasis on taking care of his body this past off-season.

If Lowry has any misgivings about the trade and the changes to the Raptors, he won't air them publicly. He deflected all questions on the subject, saying he's looking forward to putting in work with his new teammates at training camp, which begins Tuesday in Vancouver.

"I'm really excited to play with all these guys," said Lowry. "This is a great year. It's going to be a fun year, to be a part of this great team."

It's an approach that Ujiri appreciates.

"Kyle will be all business. I know how he is," said Ujiri. "I completely understand with us, with the trade, with DeMar and that effect. That’s his best friend here for five years and it was legit with both of them. There was nothing fake about it so you understand that."

Danny Green, the other player that came to Toronto with Leonard, will be a welcome addition for Lowry. Green and Lowry grew up playing against each other, first as top high school prospects in the northeastern United States and then at rival NCAA schools.

"It's funny, me and Danny go back a long time, just through him being New York, me being Philly," said Lowry. "To have the opportunity to play with him, he brings some things like consistency and understand he has a championship. It's going to be fun, man. An opportunity like this, we've got to take advantage of it."

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Follow @jchidleyhill on Twitter

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press


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