DeMar DeRozan Felt 'Irrelevant' With Spurs
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The San Antonio Spurs are entering their second season without All-Star DeMar DeRozan, who signed with the Chicago Bulls ahead of the 2021-22 NBA campaign.
DeRozan, the key player acquired in the infamous Kawhi Leonard trade back in 2018, raised San Antonio's ceiling during his three years with the Spurs, but never truly found his footing or the same level of success he had in nine seasons with the Toronto Raptors.
With his San Antonio days behind him, DeRozan sounded off on how he felt about his fit in San Antonio on a recent episode of the Old Man and the Three Podcast.
"I had great games," DeRozan said. "I developed in a lot of great ways as a basketball player, but in the same token, I just felt nonexistent for those years. It wasn't like we was on TV, we wasn't competing. There was so much to it that was a struggle. ... I just felt like I was irrelevant."
DeRozan took his talents to the Windy City to play for the Bulls, where he averaged a career-best 27.9 points per game in his first season in Chicago.
So it looks like the change of scenery is paying off so far for DeRozan. He was named an All-Star for the first time since he played for the Raptors, but the Bulls failed to make it out of the first round.
Considering the directions DeRozan and the Spurs are currently going, it is only becoming more clear that the marriage between the two was never a strong fit.
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