There have been ongoing rumors that DeMar Derozan would be open to a trade from the San Antonio Spurs. Despite the rumors that have been swirling around in the offseason, DeRozan made a strong statement on his rumored trade request, per Paul Garcia of ProjectSpurs.
DeRozan on rumors that keep coming out that he's not happy in San Antonio or wants out: "If something doesn't come out of my mouth, I advise don't believe it."
— Paul Garcia (@PaulGarciaNBA) December 5, 2020
DeRozan has been with the Spurs for two seasons after spending the first nine seasons of his career with the Toronto Raptors. Just this past season, San Antonio failed to make the playoffs for the first time in their franchise's history since the 1996-1997 season.
Early in the offseason, there were murmurs that DeRozan could demand a trade from the Spurs. Furthermore, there were reports that the Los Angeles Lakers could target the Compton native via trade.
However, the Lakers chose to trade for Dennis Schroder in a trade while signing Montrezl Harrell, Wesley Matthews, and Marc Gasol in free agency. At the same time, DeRozan signed his player option with the Spurs for the upcoming season, netting him $27.7 million this season.
Following the team's disappointing finish to last season, DeRozan spoke about wanting to make things right in the upcoming season with the Spurs.
DeRozan on why he exercised his player option to return with the Spurs: “For me just being a competitor, I wasn’t satisfied with the way we ended the season. I never ran from a challenge. There was so much for us to do.”
— Paul Garcia (@PaulGarciaNBA) December 5, 2020
After opting into the final year of his current contract, DeRozan is set to become a free agent next offseason. The athletic Spurs wing will likely draw interest around the league, giving him a chance to sign where he'd like.
DeRozan's name has been mentioned in trade discussions in the past year, leading some to make assumptions of where he could land. While he could be traded at some point, DeRozan wants to make it clear that he hasn't requested a trade from the Spurs.
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