26 Jul 2018 17:23:23
Raptors/ Spurs trade:

To TOR - Derozan

To SAS - any combination of players to match salaries

Spurs and Raptors do this just so the rest of us are spared Demar’s whining. I appreciate that he feels “betrayed”, but now cancelling out of Basketball without Borders because it’s a Ujiri thing? Grow up a bit bud.

1.) 26 Jul 2018
26 Jul 2018 18:09:51
You can't understand that he's genuinely upset and has to uproot his entire life? He is a person and not just a basketball player.

If you were forced to transfer from your dream job and location to somewhere you have no interest in living, how happy would you be? I'd be pretty pissed.

2.) 26 Jul 2018
26 Jul 2018 21:20:06
Bmiller, I understand why he would be upset, and appreciate the ramifications of moving family, etc. With that said, I did not sign up to work for a company that can “forcefully” transfer me. Being dealt is part of being an athlete. Most athletes families don’t live in the city they play in either.

Now, let me put it back at you. You’re working for a company and you no longer want to work there, can you force your work to send you to a competitor ala Claw? What are the chances that I can openly negotiate with all of my current company’s major competitors openly without being fired? Every time a player plays the FA market and then decides to resign where they were, that is a luxury you and I would not be afforded.

I understand his anger, my point was he’s just gone on about it for far too long, and has now become petty with this Basketball without Borders thing. We all know you’re not happy Demar, now move on.

3.) 26 Jul 2018
26 Jul 2018 21:24:32
Being traded is part of the risk NBA players take signing those huge contracts. They get paid way too much to play a game. It's just as ridiculous as Latrell Sprewell saying he couldn't afford to feed his kids on $10M a year. IMO suck it up or find another job.

4.) 26 Jul 2018
26 Jul 2018 21:48:33
Especially since the Raptors told Rozen that he wasn't being traded, just days before the deal.
That said, pro sports are a business and things like that happen. So, there are two sides to it. I do feel for him.

5.) 27 Jul 2018
27 Jul 2018 17:40:25
From a business perspective, it's not a competitor, it's a different section of the same company (the NBA) .

I can negotiate with a competitor without my current company finding out because I don't work in a public industry. I've done it, I've been offered a different job with better pay and benefits, and my current company wanted to retain me, so they matched those numbers. It's really common in businesses.

Being traded is part of the NBA, and I get that. Not saying that they shouldn't have traded him. But Toronto handled it incredibly poorly at every level. And Derozan should be given the benefit to be unhappy with the outcome. It's not like he's asking out of his contract or refusing to play, he's just short term pissed.

I think that Toronto might have shot themselves in the foot overall. Will a big time free agent want to go there with the way they handled this situation? I would drop them a bit on my "Free Agent Destination Power Rankings" after this.