DeMar DeRozan and the Toronto Raptors were once a struggling team who had to consistently watch tremendous regular seasons come to unceremonious ends in the postseason for years on end. On July 18th, 2018, Masai Ujiri pulled the trigger and made the first step in what he believed would result in a championship.
To the Raptors front office, that would mean trading DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a first-round pick that later became Keldon Johnson to the San Antonio Spurs for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green.
While Leonard’s one-season sabbatical in Toronto helped bring Canada their first championship in history, DeRozan embarked on a three-year odyssey in San Antonio, and while he put up solid numbers, didn’t end up with a ton of postseason success.
Three years later, it’s time to examine what has changed since the trade. How is DeRozan’s presence still evident in the current Raptors team?
The shock of DeMar DeRozan’s departure from the Toronto Raptors.
Nobody expected that the guy who spent nine seasons and took a pay cut to stay with the team, said “Don’t worry, I got us” after Chris Bosh left, and was the most loyal player to ever play for the franchise, would get traded.
It came as a shock to fans, players, and experts around the league that DeRozan, who was previously told he wasn’t going to be dealt…was actually dealt.
Don't worry, I got us...
— DeMar DeRozan (@DeMar_DeRozan) June 29, 2010
DeRozan had an undeniable impact on the city of Toronto, Canadian basketball, and the country as a whole. He was an exemplary figure of loyalty, determination, and what it means to work hard. DeRozan truly laid the groundwork that allowed the team to go on to win a championship once Kawhi was added to the mix.
DeRozan’s impact on the young guys
During his time in Toronto, DeRozan became a mentor to many of the younger guys, teaching and helping them improve both mentally and physically. He supported them by being an unyielding source of positivity.
This type of teammate is rare to find in professional sports due to the stigmas that exist surrounding athletes and their mental health. But DeRozan is no stranger to ignoring these stigmas. He himself has been a huge advocate for mental wellness and openly speaks about his ongoing struggles with depression and how he tries to overcome it.
Despite how show-stopping he can be on a basketball court, the positivity he is creating by being free and open about these topics will do more good off the court than anything DeRozan can create on it.
He had a tremendous impact on guys such as Fred VanVleet, Norman Powell, and Pascal Siakam, three players who were crucial in the Raptors’ championship season. One could say that DeMar’s mindset and loyalty extended to other players during his time in Toronto, as the Raptors’ culture is based around players molded in DeRozan’s likeness.
Who was the first guy to congratulate VanVleet after he set a new record for points in a game by a Raptor? DeRozan himself.
The aftermath of trading DeMar
As all Raptors fans know, the season after DeMar’s departure led to the franchise’s first championship. The confluence of adding Leonard, LeBron James leaving the East, and the hiring of Nick Nurse pushed Toronto over the top.
This doesn’t equate to DeRozan being a problem. Rather, a very complicated solution was needed at the time, and shipping him to Texas proved to be the only way to really get over the top.
While trading DeRozan came as a shock and broke many Canadians’ hearts, there are plenty of things to celebrate.
Whether it’s remembering what he did for this franchise, how his groundwork was crucial to this team’s success, the Larry O’Brien coming to Toronto, what the future holds for him currently in free agency, or the future of this Raptors squad, never forget DeMar’s legacy.
Regardless of whether or not you believed the trade was beneficial to the franchise, it is undeniable that DeRozan’s mindset, impact, and prior work as a Raptor played an unseen role in Toronto winning a championship and will hopefully remain instilled in future players to come.