July 18, 2018— DeMar DeRozan will never forget the date. DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl were traded by the Raptors to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. This news knocked DeRozan to his knees. “A place I thought I would be forever,” he reminisced about the team that had drafted him #9 in the 2009 NBA Draft. This was a trade that pushed him into a dark corner mentally and that, coupled with his father passing away, tormented him emotionally for three years.

Throughout the nine years he was with the Raptors, all he wanted to do was put them on the map, but what he got in return was not even a fraction of what he felt he deserved. He was lost during his time with the Spurs, but the inevitable happened yet again. He was traded to the Chicago Bulls.

This time, the hard feelings did not exist. But the Raptors trade is the one Deebo still hasn’t forgiven. While a guest on Paul George’s podcast, DeRozan was fielded with the question of being traded from city to city. Like any other human, the former Spurs guard hates having to move constantly. It not only disrupts his comfort but along with it comes readjustment for his family.

“That’s the thing too, I think ever since I kind of like, like left Toronto, like I never found like an emotional connection to where I was at in the sense of like I needed to like, you know, take all this with me, like it’s, you know, I never had that, so it kind of, it’s always like, you know, to my point, like, all right, f**k it, all right, I figure out when I get to the next place. Home for me is Los Angeles, California. That is home for me,” DeRozan said on Podcast P.

It seems that after the Raptors, Deebo never felt at home when he was with the Spurs, the Bulls, and now, the Kings.

The six-time All-Star has proudly spoken about his time in Compton. Despite the adversity within the city, basketball made it easy for DeRozan to divert away from any dangerous activities. When speaking about growing up in such settings, Deebo said in 2021, “It taught me resilience. It taught me how to be a man. It taught me hardship. It gave me imagination. My whole foundation? Compton taught me that.”

Being in Los Angeles, he grew up being a Kobe Bryant and Lakers fan, which inhibited his desire to join the Purple and Gold over the last few seasons. Playing at home is a special feeling. Sadly, the Lakers couldn’t target Deebo, compelling him to join the Kings.

Sacramento Kings saw a postseason berth last season and decided to upgrade their offensive capabilities by adding DeRozan. So even though he remains close to home, forming an emotional bond with his new franchise doesn’t seem to be a priority. Maybe it’s because of his heartbreaking experience from when he was in Toronto.

How DeMar DeRozan broke down after his trade to the Spurs…

Deebo had never been outside of Compton before being selected by the Raptors. As much as he wished for his legacy to be with his childhood team, Toronto gave him the much-needed stage to flaunt his gifts. The organization’s trust in him inspired him to carve a Kobe-like legacy. DeMar DeRozan never wanted to fail the loyalty test.

In nine seasons, he marched atop the Raptors record bookings, becoming the most decorated player for the franchise. He was living his dream, and then, one moment, they took it all away from him. “I just walked down the street, sat in front of a fast-food restaurant and I just started crying. I couldn’t believe it,” said the former Raptor. For obvious reasons, he felt cheated by the club. It came at a challenging phase of his life, and there was no prior warning given.

To play devil’s advocate, Toronto achieved a championship in the lone season with Klaw Leonard. From that standpoint, their decision paid them dividends. However, the manner in which they did decide to offload their celebrated cornerstone, a fan favorite, could have been managed better.

Understanding the ruthless nature of the business through his experience, DeRozan never attempted to develop a deep connection with the community again. Now, unless it’s LA, it’s simply a job for him. However, that doesn’t mean Deebo won’t put his all to aid his team in winning. That benchmark has never wavered, and it never will. So for Kings fans, even though he might not get attached, Deebo will be a pivotal part of the system during the coming season. That’s warranted with his Compton toughness and burning competitive spirit.