The Toronto Raptors front office and president Masai Ujiri have faced an onslaught of concern after shooting guard DeMar DeRozan blasted the organization on his Instagram story, claiming he had been lied to.
Ujiri cleared up matters somewhat during his media availability Friday, apologizing for “a gap in communication” with his former star.
“I’m a loyal person… but I have a mandate to win,” said Ujiri, after promising to celebrate DeRozan in the future for his accomplishments during his tenure with the team, according to Michael Grange of Rogers SportsNet.
A report by ESPN detailed that DeRozan had met with Raptors brass last week during the Las Vegas Summer League, where he was told trade rumors weren't of substance.
Shortly after the trade was announced, many of the NBA's biggest names came to DeRozan's defense — using him to detail a decade-long argument that loyalty never wins out in this league.
Paul George, Damian Lillard, and Isaiah Thomas, among others denounced the Raptors for misleading DeRozan, despite being in talks with the Spurs for roughly two weeks before deciding to acquire Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, and $5 million in cash considerations for DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a first-round pick.
DeRozan would be arriving in the one organization known for its loyalty to their players, the Spurs — boasting a two-decade-long storied reputation for taking care of their players and communicating in an honest and upfront way.
While there is still no clarity about what was said when DeRozan met with Ujiri, both sides are better moving on from the matter and focusing in their future, as painful as it is to part ways.
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