After DeMar DeRozan was traded to the San Antonio Spurs for Kawhi Leonard, there was an outpouring of support for the star who re-signed with the Raptors in 2016. DeRozan has spent the past nine years in Toronto, and his name is synonymous with Raptors basketball. Out of DeRozan immediately after the trade, however, all that there was was an Instagram Story saying that there "ain't no loyalty in this game." But DeRozan broke his silence in an interview with ESPN's Chris Haynes and opened up about the trade and the time leading up  to it.

When he was asked about Raptors president Masai Ujiri's claim that there was a "miscommunication" leading up to the trade, DeRozan said that that wasn't the case.

"Um, no, because all summer through the talks we had -- through the talks he had with my agent -- you know, it seemed like I was in that discussion of moving forward with the team," DeRozan said. "...Having the opportunity to do something special all over again, you know? So that was my mindset and everybody around me's mindset as well."

The Raptors finished first in the Eastern Conference last year with a 59-23 record before being swept by the Cavaliers in the second round of the playoffs. He added that for everything that he gave to the Raptors, DeRozan ultimately felt disrespected by the organization. 

"I felt like I wasn't treated with what I sacrificed for nine years, with the respect that I thought I deserved." he said when he was asked how he was treated by Ujiri. "...I'm not saying, 'You don't have to trade me' or ... just let me know something is going on because I sacrificed everything."

DeRozan did take less than the max when he signed his extension in 2016, saying that "I didn't want to put us in (a) jam where we wouldn't be able to help the team by bringing in other guys."

In the immediate aftermath of the trade, DeRozan said he was blindsided.

 "Man, I was really stuck," he said. "I couldn't think for a second because it just didn't feel real. I didn't have (any) indication like it would be something else ... So to hit me with that at midnight out the blue, like, c'mon."

DeRozan will join a Spurs team looking to stay competitive in the Western Conference. While the Spurs may not have the core of the Warriors or LeBron James on their roster, they do have some talented players. They made the playoffs last season without the best player on their team. DeRozan will be playing under Gregg Popovich, as the Spurs try to stir things up in the West.