Outside of some cryptic – and not-so-cryptic – social media posts, DeMar DeRozan had been relatively quiet over the last week since word broke that he’d be traded from the Raptors to the Spurs. However, various reports, along with those social media posts, suggested that DeRozan wasn’t thrilled with the deal, which caught him by surprise.
ESPN’s Chris Haynes caught up with the longtime Toronto star to discuss the deal and to address the perception that DeRozan had been told he wouldn’t be traded. The conversation is a good one, and is worth checking out in full for a number of interesting stories and comments from DeRozan, who talked about his place in Raptors history, his expectations for playing under Gregg Popovich, and how friends like Kyle Lowry and Drake reacted to the deal.
Here are a few of the other highlights from DeRozan’s conversation with Haynes:
On Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri saying of the previous iteration of the Raptors, “We kept giving them a chance and giving them a chance. At some point, we have to do something different”:
“I mean, when you say ‘them,’ that’s kind of frustrating. Like, who is ‘them’? You put the blame on just me and (Dwane) Casey? Because obviously we are the only two who had to suffer from the loss that we had in the Cleveland series.
“But it’s only one team that we lost to in the postseason — and that team went to the Finals every single year. With an opportunity approaching itself, my mindset and the rest of my teammates’ mindset was the only guy who was in the way of making that happen (LeBron James) leaves. Now we got a great opportunity to do something that we haven’t been able to do.
“At the end of the day, I gave everything I had to that team. And it showed, it showed in the progress we made as a team and me as an individual. So when you put that out there saying ‘gave them chances’ and ‘I have to do something’… It’s B.S. to me.”
On how he felt he was treated by Ujiri and the organization:
“I felt like I wasn’t treated with what I sacrificed for nine years, with the respect that I thought I deserved. By just giving me the say so of letting me know something’s going on or it’s a chance. That’s all I wanted. That’s all I wanted. I’m not saying, ‘You don’t have to trade me’ or … just let me know something is going on because I sacrificed everything. Just let me know. That’s all I asked. Everybody know I’m the most low-maintenance person in the world. Just let me know, so I can prepare myself for whatever my next chapter is, and I didn’t get that.”
On whether DeRozan had asked the team if he’d be traded:
“I asked, ‘Was I going to be traded? Was there anything going on, if it was a chance I’d be traded?’ And on multiple occasions it was, ‘No, it was nothing.’ If it is, then let the agent know or me know.”
On talking to Spurs forward Rudy Gay shortly after finding out about the trade:
“I was upset. And I called him, like, ‘Man, dude’s just traded me.’ Rudy was like ‘What? To who?’ And I was like ‘To y’all.’ He started laughing. He said ‘Look, I don’t mean to lie, but I got my boy back. You gon’ be aight, man. don’t worry about it.’ I was like, ‘Man, I shouldn’t have called you. I should have waited until it came out and you called me.’ It was cool to be able to call somebody that’s close in my life that’s on the Spurs too. So he made it easy.”
DeRozan needs to grow up, you couldn’t do nothing in the East and play defeated against LeBron that’s why Masaj got rid of you. Your best option is being a piece in Pop’s system and having Pop integrate in you what you are missing, mental strength and an edge on defense.
Oh, please shut up…
Go back on hiatus
Why? Realistically, this is a guy who makes millions and was the centerpiece for a team that was fairly successful but couldn’t close out in the playoffs. Different coaching style is what they needed, and a chance at a player like kawhi doesn’t come around that often. DeMar is acting like a baby. Look where it got IT talking like that.
They were facing LeBron, year after year after year. I think I’d be demoralised too
I agree. So bleepin hypocritical that he says he’s “the most low maintenance person in the world” but he does a sit down with a reporter and rips Ujiri after going silent on social media for a week or whatever. He should be thankful because you’re totally right, Pop is going to help him develop mental strength which is seriously lacks as evident in the playoffs and you’re never too old to learn defense either.
Ok please give me another example of DeRozan being high maintenance? He has every right to be mad. My next question I would ask you is how many franchise players can you name that have been traded UNWILLINGLY? And no IT is not a franchise player.
If Demar wanted to stay in Toronto, he should have tried winning in the playoffs when it matters. Can’t use Lebron being in the East as a scapegoat.
Ya failed to answer either of my questions. He was told he wasn’t going to be traded. I’m sorry but as the Franchise player he’s entitled to honesty from the front office. Yes the NBA is business. No it’s not wrong that DeMar got traded: it’s the circumstances that are wrong and that gives DeRozan every reason to be upset about this. That’s what this thread is about.
My understanding is from Masai’s version of events, he never told Demar he wouldn’t be traded. He told Demar what he wanted from him in the future, and Demar took that as Masai promising him he won’t trade him.
So keeping on thread, you can’t just take Demar’s version as the complete truth and say Masai’s version is completely fabricated. There are 2 sides to every story, and the truth often lies somewhere in the middle.
Fair point. We have to take both sides with a grain of salt. However this trade is in way slightly unprecedented. When was the last time a Franchise player got traded unwillingly? We will never know if Masai deliberately told him he wouldn’t be traded, but at the very least he led DeMar to believe he would be traded. So therefore DD is entitled to be upset with this trade.
And he got traded for a guy that the vast majority of the NBA community believes will not resign. He was married to Toronto
The core the Raptors had with DD, Lowry and others weren’t getting it done. Yes Lebron stood in the way each time. Something needed to change. Even if Kawhi doesn’t stick around, it’ll make the path to the rebuild easier having one fewer big contract around. I’ve been reading more and more reports saying he may stick around, impossible to know that yet. It’s a gamble worth taking. The vast majority of the NBA community also says this trade makes the Raptors a much better team.
That’s true
Hard to say whether that made the rebuild easier. Seeing a lot of team take on contracts from draft picks, having a first round pick is definitely more important than cap space for a rebuilding team.
One thing I haven’t seen mentioned is DeMar probably felt the window was just opening for the Raptors and then he gets traded to play in the same conference as LeBron… and the Warriors…. and the Rockets. Look it makes total sense for SA and Toronto to do business together but he’d probably be a lot less salty about it if he’d been traded to Boston, Philly or Washington.
He mentions several times he “sacrificed everything.” What exactly did he “sacrifice” to be a part of the Raptors?
At the time he signed his contract in 2016, it was the second largest contract in the history of the NBA according to an article I just looked up on Forbes. So much heartbreaking sacrifice. Poor guy.
Did ujiri not tell him we was not going to be traded and then turn around and do just that? Yeah yeah, I know, “it’s a business” but the idea that someone shouldn’t be upset after being lied to their face is absurd. If he’s still salty a year from now, then sure cry baby is likely applicable, but in the immediate aftermath expecting him to be hunky dory just isn’t a realistic expectation and I doubt anyone who says otherwise isn’t truly holding him to the same standards they’d hold themselves.
He does bring up an interesting point, there was truly only one team in their way of postseason success, and with that one man team of LeBron James gone the issue was pretty much corrected. Given their play against Boston, why not role out that roster for another season, I mean if Ujiri was truthful in his vote of confidence then there’s simply no good reason not to (rhetorical question as he was obviously not truthful)
I totally agree with oriolesravenstimberwolves04, this wasn’t the right way to treat your star, specially a loyal one, & that is another reason Kawhi won’t stay & other stars won’t come, they can see the way players are treated, they don’t forget, anyway Toronto is not an attractive destination for FA’s, all they need is a useless GM like Ujiri to make it even harder for them. To me they should have got rid of Lowry, Ibaka & Valanciunas way before DeRozan he was far & away the best player in Toronto.
I’m guessing you speak for all players in the NBA? Maybe some will appreciate the fact the management has the balls to make big trades to build a contender. Masai built this team into one of the best teams in the East. Leonard is an elite basketball player, you have to give up quality to get quality. Trading Lowry, Ibaka or JV wouldn’t bring back a star like Leonard, so you’d end up being stuck in the same cycle of doing well in the regular season, and losing in the first or second round of the playoffs.
No one is mad that he made the trade, they’re mad that DeMar was told he wasn’t gonna be traded and then he’s dealt days later. The trade itself was a good move, the manner in which it happened was not.
Based on Demars version of events. Masai says that conversation went differently. That’s my whole point, everyone takes Demars side and neglects what Masai has said about the conversation.
Didn’t Masai acknowledge that he made a mistake. Didn’t he literally say the words “the mistake that I made”. He is acknowledging that this situation could have been handled much more mannerly
And how could this whole thing come as such a shock to Demar? It was well known last offseason they were considering trading him for Wiggins. He needs to take it for what it is, he is a great player that was the price needed to be paid for an elite player coming back.
Oh please. That was Due Dilligence. No way either team was legitimately considering that deal. Especially the TWolves
You’re probably right, but it’s impossible to know for sure. Point is, he’s been mentioned in trade rumours before. If he had a problem with how Masai handled it, he should have taken it directly to Masai and not whine about it on social media.
I’m just interested in some opinions here: Could the Raptors have acquired leanord without giving up DeRozan with a package like Anouby-Siakam-Jonas V-and 2nds?
If so would that have been worth it for a trip to the finals?
Zach Lowe said Spurs aren’t interested in deals heavy on unproven players and picks. That offer wouldn’t beat Celtics’ or Sixers’.
Can we just calm down on the “I’ve been loyal to the organization” stuff?
He was drafted by the Raptors. He stayed with Toronto and signed an 5/$139 mil max contract. Staying with the same team that drafted you and getting that max deal is what almost every star does simply because they can pay you tens of millions more than anyone else. That’s not the definition of loyalty. One could say that the team was loyal to HIM considering he signed a deal shortly after his history of struggling in the playoffs. This is a business and in the NBA trades can happen real quick and maybe it wasn’t in THE TEAMS best interest to notify him that he MIGHT be traded. What happens if they let it be known, or leaks, but then falls thru?
IT has a LEGIT reason to be salty towards the Celtics. DeRozan is a nice guy I’m sure but let’s stop with this loyalty stuff. Doing your job while earning the max you can is not “loyalty”. What did you sacrifice?
To be fair, his current contract was actually less than the max by about $10-15MM. Not a huge amount when you’re talking about $140-150MM, obviously, but he did willingly take a little less to help the team.
Such sacrifice! We can call that the “choke in the playoffs tax.” We all know the tax in Canada is crazy.
Come on Elsa, it’s time to LET IT GO!
I think Demar Derozan thinks he is a lot better than he is