NBA Rumors: DeMar DeRozan Gives Major Hint Regarding His Nearing Departure From San Antonio Spurs
It has only been one year and four months since DeMar DeRozan parted ways with the Toronto Raptors, the team that drafted him as the No. 9 overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. The Spurs traded for DeRozan with the hope that he could fill the huge hole Kawhi Leonard left on their team, but it seems like that the All-Star shooting guard is not meant to stay long-term in San Antonio. According to KSAT, DeRozan’s latest action gave a major hint that he could soon be on his way out of the Spurs.
As KSAT noted, the trade rumors surrounding DeRozan started to heat up when he cleared his Instagram posts on his official account. Some people are wondering what is the connection of DeRozan’s recent Instagram activity to his nearing departure from the Spurs. For those who were monitoring DeRozan’s NBA career, they know that it could mean something big.
When he was included in the trade package that the Raptors sent to the Spurs in exchange for Leonard, DeRozan also cleared his account, hinting at the start of a new journey with another team. As of now, it remains a big question whether the Spurs are already planning to move DeRozan but if they continue to struggle in the 2019-20 NBA season, it’s not hard to see it happening before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline.
Despite having DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge on their roster, the Spurs still struggle to consistently win games and are currently sitting in the No. 13 spot in the Western Conference with a 6-12 record. Though they are performing well offensively, the Spurs are noticeably showing poor performance on the defensive end of the floor, which is mostly blamed to DeRozan. Per ESPN, the Spurs rank 27th in NBA’s defensive efficiency, allowing 111.5 points per 100 possessions.
Though the Spurs are yet to make him officially available on the trading block, DeRozan has already been linked to several Eastern Conference teams who are in dire need of an additional star power to make a huge impact in the 2019-20 NBA season. These include the Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat.
The Magic and the Heat may not be able to trade another superstar in exchange for DeRozan, but they could offer the Spurs a combination of young players and future draft picks. Acquiring those types of assets would be very beneficial for the Spurs, especially if they finally decide to build the team around their young core of Dejounte Murray, Lonnie Walker, and Derrick White.
