Kyle Lowry Talks Raptors Future, DeMar DeRozan, Dwane Casey Returns, More

The Toronto Raptors fired head coach Dwane Casey and traded away star player DeMar DeRozan in the offseason, but Kyle Lowry hasn't let the changes bother him. 

"It took a little bit," the guard said of the personnel moves, per Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. "But I had to make peace with it right away, because it's a business. If you take it personal, you're going to [expletive] yourself."

There was talk about Lowry also being on the trading block, but he now seems happy staying in Toronto for as long as they'll have him.

"I just wanted to be where I could win and I was wanted. And it was here," he explained. "They didn't trade me. So, I guess this was the situation I was going to be in. And as a professional with the situation I am going to be in, I'm going to do my job."

The 32-year-old is certainly doing his job this year, leading the NBA with 11.3 assists per game while helping the Raptors jump out to an 11-1 record.

He still respects Casey and DeRozan, saying fans should give them both standing ovations when they return to Toronto, but he doesn't miss them quite as much as you might expect. Some have noticed Lowry has kept the same handshake routine he had with DeRozan:

However, the veteran explained that it's not what some think:

"It's routine. It's tradition. It's something that has been keeping me going. It's good. Why not? We've been doing the same for a long time. I've been knocking on wood for a long time. I'm superstitious. I've been healthy. I've been playing with good luck for the last couple years, so I want to keep it going. It's not for anything else. It's just for me."

Meanwhile, he explained that things weren't necessarily always great with Casey when asked about his time with him.

"It was an up-and-down one," Lowry said of his relationship with his former coach. "But he was like the nicest man in the world. I learned to respect what he did, how he came up and his approach to everything. He landed right back on his feet. So I'm happy for him."

Casey is currently the head coach of the Detroit Pistons and he will return to Toronto next Wednesday. DeRozan will have his homecoming when the San Antonio Spurs come to town on Feb. 22.