It's the end of an era, and as The Score so graciously informed us on a recent Instagram post, it's okay to cry, Raptors fans. It's okay to cry, because as we all well know by now, the years-long bromance between Kyle Lowry and Demar Derozan has come to an end, at least as team-mates. So now, as painful as it may be, we must look to the future.
Although Kyle refuses to comment on the trade or anything other than the American national team at this point, we have to assume he's upset. His best friend, someone who he's claimed to be like his brother, was traded away overnight, with next to no warning. So, how can we expect the relationship between Kawhi and Kyle to unfold? Will it be pleasant? Will it be purely professional? Could it perhaps be a friendship rivalling even that of Kyle and Demar?
The easiest answer at this point is that their relationship will be purely professional. I say this, not because I think Kyle Lowry will harbour some sort of childish resentment towards Kawhi due to his loyalty for Demar, but rather because, as things currently stand, Kawhi has no intention of staying past the end of this upcoming season. So I'm expecting him to take the same route Lowry took at the beginning of his career in Toronto. He's going to play out his contract here, and as soon as the final whistle blows on the final game he plays, he'll flee to a bigger brighter city (Los Angeles) as quickly as his Uncle Dennis can take him there. So I'm expecting his mindset to be along the lines of
"If I'm not staying here past this season, why get close with any of these guys?"
Therefore, whether Kyle Lowry makes an effort or not, it would be foolish to expect the pair to be anything more than team-mates at this point.