While trades often excite fans, players can sometimes have a hard time dealing with a trade to a new franchise.

That’s what happened to DeMar DeRozan in 2018, when he was asked to join the Spurs. And it wasn’t easy.

As the NBA season prepares to resume in a few weeks, most of the trades are now complete.

The biggest ones will arrive by the February deadline, and it’s not always easy for players.

Some don’t want to leave, discover a new place, or ask their family to make sacrifices.

In 2018, DeMar DeRozan never hid a certain anger following his trade from the Raptors.

Very attached to the franchise, the guard made it clear that he didn’t want to leave, especially to join the Spurs in exchange for Kawhi Leonard.

But the player didn’t really have a choice, and he took it very badly for several weeks.

DeMar DeRozan honest about his departure to the Spurs
In a recent podcast with Jeff Teague, DeRozan returned to this famous trade in 2018. And he does not hide it: he wanted to stay with the Raptors.

DeMar DeRozan: “When I was traded, for two weeks I spoke to absolutely no one. I did not want to answer the phone. I was really angry.

Then suddenly Gregg Popovich called me and said, ‘we didn’t just trade you, we wanted you in this trade.'”

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“When he said that I said to myself, ‘but damn, he has a point!'”.

A few words from Popovich were enough to make the difference, he who wanted to get the guard back from the Spurs to make him a star of the team.

No, DeRozan wasn’t just a player lost in a trade, he was wanted in San Antonio and for a guy like DeMar, that makes a big difference. Unfortunately, success didn’t come his way in Texas.

Despite everything, DeRozan has fond memories of his time in Texas, especially thanks to Popovich. He played a big role in his acclimatization to San Antonio. And after such a painful trade, the guard definitely needed someone like that in his life.

DeRozan: “It was crazy to be under Popovich, to learn the game from him.

The way he welcomed me and accepted me, as more than just a basketball player. He helped me through that transition, and I’m going to cherish that forever because I needed that in my career at that point.”

As painful as the trade was, DeMar DeRozan probably couldn’t have asked for a better destination with the Spurs.

A perfect spot for the back end, where Gregg Popovich’s words and wisdom have taken effect. Good for the person that DeMar is.