Though they've only been Raptors teammates for a short while, it seems as though Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard are developing a bit of a friendship, according to a report from Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.
The Raptors acquired Leonard, now 27 years of age, by way of a July trade with the San Antonio Spurs. As part of the deal, Toronto sent DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a protected 2019 first-round pick to San Antonio. In return, Toronto received Leonard and forward Danny Green.
As part of a wide-ranging interview, Lowry noted that he and Leonard have become friendly. The two players exchanged text messages after the trade, but they weren't able to really interact until the start of training camp.
“He was working on his game, I was working on my game,” Lowry told Sports Illustrated. “When the time is right, you’ll get together, get to talk, say what’s up. I do my thing in the summertime.”
Leonard was sidelined for much of last season due to a right quad injury. With the Raptors this season, however, the former No. 15 overall pick is playing quite well. In 32 appearances, Leonard has racked up averages of 27.2 points on 49.9 percent shooting from the field (36.2 percent from beyond the arc), to go along with 7.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.8 steals in 34.8 minutes per outing.
Lowry, who was admittedly upset about the departure of his long-time friend in DeRozan, knows that Leonard brings an exciting new element to Toronto's lineup.
“Kawhi is an unbelievable basketball player,” Lowry said. “He just does him. There are a lot of things he can do talent-wise where you’re just like wow.”
If Lowry and Leonard can continue to mesh, the Raptors, who are currently leading the Atlantic Division standings with an impressive 30-12 overall record, will likely be a formidable force in the postseason.
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