DeMar DeRozan is rooting for his former teammates in the NBA Finals against the Warriors. However, he does feel as though him being sacrificed allowed them to elevate themselves to the top of the Eastern conference.
In an interview during Bleacher Report’s Take it There season finale, DeRozan stated ,
“Honestly, I don’t think I even said this — I probably said it to my own inner circle — but if it wasn’t for all the years and groundwork that I did before then, none of them things would’ve been possible”. He also added “Yes, I fought, I sacrificed, I pushed the limits to where I had to be the sacrificial lamb.”
DeRozan was traded to the San Antonio Spurs last year in a huge deal in exchange for Kawhi Leonard. The Raptors have seen much success in the postseason, and are currently face-to-face with the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.
Reports that DeRozan was stunned when it was announced he was traded are understandable. He had proven multiple times that he was loyal to the Raptors organization.
When he became an unrestricted free agent, he took no meetings and quickly re-signed with the Raptors. He stated “I am Toronto” at a press conference, and he had made it very clear that he wanted to spend his entire career with the Raptors organization throughout various post-conference interviews.
When he discovered he was being traded, he was upset because he was told by the organization that he would not be traded, and that he was indeed a franchise player. He took to Instagram to voice his resentment towards his trade, and vowed he would grow from his situation.
Kawhi Leonard has since provided the Raptors with the key defense that they needed to take them to the next level. He is one of the league’s best two-way players, is dominant on the court, and has proven to be clutch in multiple game-winning situations. He has also had his most productive offensive regular season of his career– averaging 26.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game.
However, it came at the expense of DeRozan and the loyalty that he brought to the organization. Leonard’s future after this season is unknown, as it has been reported he may leave Toronto.
While DeRozan was a solid franchise player that wanted to be a Raptor forever. DeRozan undoubtedly helped the Raptors during the past several years build up to the team they have become today. Seeing his former team in the NBA Finals has to be a bittersweet moment.
