When DeMar DeRozan was traded to the San Antonio Spurs as a resolution to the Kawhi Leonard saga, it was just another indication that loyalty really does run thin across the NBA.
DeRozan had spent his entire nine-year career with the Raptors and the trade was a shock to some, especially to those who saw the relationship between Toronto and DeRozan lasting his whole NBA tenure. According to DeRozan himself, he was promised that he wouldn’t be part of any potential deal and is reportedly extremely upset about his being traded. Following from TNT’s David Aldridge.
Meanwhile, @DeMar_DeRozan not backing off of claim he was lied to by Toronto regarding a potential trade, per source. Extremely upset.
— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) July 18, 2018
Not only is DeMar DeRozan set to depart from the only franchise he has ever played for, but he will also leave behind tons of playoff memories and one of his close friends in backcourt mate Kyle Lowry.
We’ve seen teams make promises to players before but go back on their word when an opportunity to make a major splash arises. The Raptors obviously saw an opportunity to land one of the game’s top talents and took the chance when they had it, despite the risk of it being a one-year rental.
Though Lowry has been a star himself, DeRozan has been the true heart of the Raptors franchise over the past few seasons and forfeiting him could prove to be a steep price to pay for a disgruntled player in Kawhi Leonard.
