DeMar DeRozan is one of the backbones of the Toronto Raptors, but the team apparently looked into the possibility of trading him last year.
The New York Times’ Marc Stein reported in his newsletter that Toronto quietly explored the market for DeRozan last summer before keeping him. Stein adds that he expects the team to make everyone open for a trade this summer.
“Word is that the Raptors quietly explored their DeMar DeRozan trade options last summer — before they had any inkling that a breakout season was looming — and I’d fully expect Toronto to explore those possibilities again. Not just with DeRozan but with anyone and everyone on the roster,” Stein wrote.
The Raptors are in an interesting place. They’ve had great success in the regular season for three years in a row, but they’ve been eliminated by the Cavaliers in the playoffs all three times. Will they blow things up and try to rebuild? Or will they try to wait out LeBron James? Based on the team’s handling of Dwane Casey, it seems that changes will be in store this summer.
DeRozan is under contract through 2020-21 at $27.7 million per season.
