NBA: After Trade: Raptors President apologizes to DeRozan

Masai Ujiri, President of Basketball Operations at the Toronto Raptors, has apologized to his ex-player DeMar DeRozan. He had been traded to the Spurs for Kawhi Leonard and was disappointed. He also talked about the rumor that Kawhi didn’t want to play Leonard for the Raptors.

DeRozan had written in the course of the trade at Instagram that he had been betrayed by the Raptors and that there was no loyalty. He was referring to the fact that the franchise allegedly assured him not to trade him in the course of the Summer League.

Ujiri, who had this conversation, now commented: “I had a conversation with DeMar at the Summer League. I think my mistake was to talk to him about what we expect from him in the future. So we weren’t talking directly about a trade, but about the future – and I think that was the discrepancy.”

Ujiri defended this approach by always assuming that he would continue working with the current team. “If there has been any miscommunication on this matter, I apologize to DeMar and his family.” He had no intention of deceiving anyone.

Ujiri also commented on the rumors that Leonard did not want to play for the Raptors. “He didn’t make that impression on me. I already had a talk with him, his agent and his uncle. And it went well.”