Stylizer1
SENSimillanaire
I'm sure the players know that it's a business first. It's pretty funny how a guy making 27 million a season guaranteed is upset by being traded yet NFL players mangle their bodies and can be cut by the team at any time. You only get loyalty if you earn it and with all the chances Demar had to elevate his game he didn't, at least when it counted.I would. think this trade hurts the Raptors...long term.
When Masai is talking to UFA about joining the Raptors and being part of the Raptor family, plays will remember how DeRozan was traded/treated.
It's tough enough get player star players to play in Canada, and when you got one, and a player who had options to play elsewhere, it looks bad for the team when he traded.
Not saying it was a bad trade, but the optics from players/agents make the Raptors rather heartless.
Wonder how Leonard who had some difficulty with coaches apparently is going to managed by a rookie head coach.
Going forward the Raps were in a tough position. Having Lowry, Derozan, and Iblanka on huge contracts and having traded away 1st rounders left the team with very little room to breath. Really this team would not have been able to really change the roster for next season. If they would have held on to DeRozan how much do you think it would have taken to resign him? Do you give a 31 year old player a retirement contract for being a really good regular season player in a few seasons? They are saving money on Khawi's contract and getting the better player along with a pretty good player in Green. If there was ever a season to go for it this is it with LeBron gone. They still don't have enough to beat GS but if they can manage to make the finals could go a long way in showing Khawi he has a better chance in a depleted east (like LeBron) to make the finals.
DeRozan knew that being loyal to Toronto meant he was going to get paid really well for the rest of his career. He was the leader of the team, top of the pecking order. Now he is going to have to earn his next payday in San Antonio and hopefully it makes him better for it.
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