Despite a rough breakup, former Toronto Raptors star DeMar DeRozan is keeping in touch with his former teammates during their historic pursuit to the NBA Finals, especially best friend Kyle Lowry. 

During an interview with Marc J. Spears of ESPN's The Undefeated, Lowry said he has been speaking with DeRozan during their run and said DeRozan is happy for them.  

"I’ve been speaking to him the whole way," Lowry told Spears. "One thing about him is that he legit cares about me as his best friend. He has texted everyone he has a relationship with and let them know how happy he is for us."

DeRozan was famously traded to the San Antonio Spurs last summer as part of a blockbuster deal that saw superstar Kawhi Leonard come north of the border. 

Following the trade, DeRozan told ESPN he was caught "completely off guard" and felt that Raptors president Masai Ujiri was not up front with him regarding a possible trade. 

“I felt like I wasn't treated with what I sacrificed for nine years," DeRozan told ESPN. "The respect that I thought deserved. Giving me the say so of letting me know something is going on. That's there a chance. That's all I wanted."

Lowry stood up for his former teammate, telling ESPN in December that he also felt "betrayed." 

"I felt betrayed because he felt betrayed because that's my guy, that's my best friend," Lowry told ESPN. "So yeah, I felt some type of way on the personal side. It's a harsh business - it's a great business - but sometimes moves are made that you're like, 'Wow, that sucks.' It's very complicated."

DeRozan, 29, averaged 21.2 points, six rebounds and 6.2 assists over 77 games in 2018-19.

Toronto and San Antonio split their two-game regular season series this season.

The Spurs, who finished seventh in the Western Conference with a 48-34 record, were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in seven games in the opening round of the playoffs.