DeMar DeRozan Unhappy with Spurs Trade
Kawhi Leonard has been traded from the San Antonio Spurs to the Toronto Raptors in return for DeMar DeRozan.
The blockbuster trade also included Jakob Poeltl plus a protected 2019 first round pick being sent to the Spurs. The first-round pick Toronto sent to San Antonio is a protected 1-20 selection, according to ESPN. After one year, it becomes two second-round picks.
The deal announced on Wednesday also included a fee of $5 Million being paid to the Raptors. The fee is compensation for a tax hit that Toronto would take due to the trade kicker.
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Reportedly, the deal has been in the pipeline for two weeks as the two teams ironed out the details.
In spite of this, the trade appeared to come as a surprise to DeMar DeRozan. According to ESPN, DeRozan met with Raptors officials in Las Vegas during the summer league.
DeMar DeRozan left these meetings with the impression that he would not be traded. On Wednesday morning, he expressed his disappointment on his Instagram page.
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“Be told one thing & the outcome another. Can’t trust em,†he wrote. “Ain’t no loyalty in this game. Sell you out quick for a little bit of nothing… Soon you’ll understand… Don’t disturb…”
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said that he was thrilled to acquire DeRozan. He also defended Kawhi Leonard against claims that he was a bad teammate.
“Kawhi conducted himself wonderfully while he was here,” Popovich said, crediting him on for being a “hard worker all the time.”
“At this point it’s time to move on,” Popovich said. “I’m concerned about Jakob and DeMar and our basketball team. We’ve got a lot of young kids and it’s exciting.”
