After getting swept once again by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in last year's playoffs, the Toronto Raptors were at a crossroad. It was obvious that the Raptors were not going to go any further with that roster, so that begged the question: would Toronto blow it up over the summer?

Of course, the two main pieces on the Raptors at the time were Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. From 2014 through 2018, the duo had Toronto in the playoffs every years, and over the last few seasons, the Raptors were always one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

But each year, Toronto would run into the buzzsaw that was LeBron and the Cavaliers in May, and the ballclub would melt. The Raptors were able to push the Cavs to six games during the Eastern Conference Finals in 2016, but in the second round of the playoffs in both 2017 and 2018, Cleveland swept Toronto.

DeMar DeRozan

Last season was particularly devastating, as the Raptors appeared to be the best team in the East, and many felt that they were going to finally beat LeBron, but then, they blew a double-digit lead in Game 1 and lost in overtime.

That was the beginning of the end.

In Game 3 of that series, DeRozan was benched by Dwane Casey down the stretch in a tight battle, a relatively shocking development as DeRozan was one of the top two players on the squad.

That is unfortunately the final image we have of DeMar DeRozan in a Raptors uniform.

During the offseason, Toronto decided to retool instead of rebuild, sending DeRozan to the San Antonio Spurs in a blockbuster trade that brought Kawhi Leonard to Canada.

That marked the official end of the DeRozan era in Toronto, with the Raptors losing arguably the most successful player in the history of their franchise.

Vince Carter was certainly better than DeRozan at his peak, as was Chris Bosh. However, DeRozan had a much longer tenure than either player, spending nine years with the organization and making four All-Star teams.

DeRozan's tenure was almost cut short during the summer of 2016, when rumors persisted that the 29-year-old was going to head to the Los Angeles Lakers via free agency, but DeRozan opted to re-sign with the Raptors on a five-year, $139 million contract.

gregg popovich, demar derozan

If that wasn't enough to convince you that DeMar DeRozan wanted to be a Raptor for life, I don't know what is.

It was obvious that DeRozan loved playing in Toronto, and while the fans did get on his case for his frequent playoff shortcomings, it was obvious that they loved him, too.

After all, aside from Carter and Bosh, the Raptors have not had a lot of great players in their franchise history, with DeRozan and Lowry probably rounding out the top four.

But the fact of the matter is that DeRozan just was not good enough to be “the guy.”

He is incredibly gifted in terms of his athleticism, but his lack of a three-point shot and his inability to consistently defend doomed him in Toronto, his penchant for rim-rocking dunks notwithstanding.

The Raptors just were not going to win with a core of DeRozan and Lowry. They had to do something. They either had to try to trade DeRozan and Lowry for young players and picks or try to swing a deal for another star. With Leonard just happening to be available this past summer, Masai Ujiri decided to make another run at a title.

It was a risky move for sure, as Leonard is set to be a free agent this coming summer, and the general consensus is that the 2014 Finals MVP will not be re-signing in Toronto.

Masai Ujiri, DeMar DeRozan, Raptors

But the Raptors wanted one more shot at a championship, and, evidently, they did not think DeRozan and Lowry could give it to them.

Sadly, they were right.

There is no such thing as loyalty in professional sports, and that definitely bothered DeRozan after the trade. He chose to re-sign in Toronto because of his loyalty to the city and the organization, but the Raptors did not reciprocate.

And as much as we would like to believe the running narrative that it is just franchises who are not loyal to their players, the opposite is also true. It's the harsh reality of the business.

Surely, Raptors fans would have loved to contend a title with DeMar DeRozan on the roster, and vice versa. I'm sure DeRozan would love to be a part of this current group that Toronto has, as the Raptors do seem to have a puncher's chance this season.

DeMar DeRozan

But instead, DeRozan is in San Antonio on a decent team that is not going to make much noise in the playoffs.

DeRozan will make his Toronto return on Feb. 22, and this is one time you can be sure that there will be nothing but cheers and gratitude from both sides.

It's just a shame things couldn't work out.