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Ujiri: Relationship with Kawhi remains strong, DeRozan not so much

William Lou
·NBA reporter
·4 min read

Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri was open and honest in an illuminating interview with Ernie Johnson of Inside the NBA on Monday.

Among the many topics discussed were the difficult and sometimes cruel decisions that Ujiri had to make in turning the Raptors from an afterthought into champions. Ujiri reflected once again on the emotional toll of trading franchise player DeMar DeRozan and, one year later, having been left at the altar himself with Kawhi Leonard fleeing in free agency.

"With (former Raptors head coach Dwane Casey), it has gotten so much better now with his family and him. With DeMar there is still plenty of work to be done,” Ujiri said. “But, by the grace of God, it will all get better. We have to continue to make these decisions that are tough. But that's the business of basketball, and the position that we are in.”

DeRozan was one of the most beloved players in franchise history when he was traded in 2018. Not only was he the franchise leader in scoring, but DeRozan represented something bigger to the fanbase. It was DeRozan who took ownership of the Raptors after Chris Bosh left a decade ago, and the Raptors’ rise to relevance mirrored DeRozan’s exponential growth as a player. That’s why it was so difficult to give up on DeRozan, the rare star player that actually wanted to stay in Toronto.

"DeMar, I was in the hotel in Kenya, and I walked around that hotel at 4 a.m., 5 a.m., for a couple hours, trying to gather up enough strength and courage to make this phone call. I will never forget it,” Ujiri said.

But after being swept for a second-consecutive season to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, it was time to move on. DeRozan had proven ineffective as a franchise player for a team with championship aspirations, especially in 2018 when he was benched for the fourth quarter of Game 3 against Cleveland, before being ejected early in Game 4 which ended up being his last moments as a Raptor.

Ujiri had cause to trade DeRozan and to push the franchise toward a new direction, especially with the opportunity to acquire a player of Leonard’s talent, but the logistics of the deal became difficult. DeRozan confronted Ujiri during Summer League two summers ago, and while the details of that interaction remain private, there must have been a misunderstanding about his future with the franchise. DeRozan released a series of veiled messages on social media when the deal was made, and later said at a Team USA practice that there was “no reason” to have a relationship with Ujiri.

For his part, DeRozan seems to come to an acceptance over the situation. DeRozan supported many of his former Raptors teammates throughout their path to the championship. And even specifically with the front office, Ujiri told a story last summer of how DeRozan came into the Raptors locker room when the San Antonio Spurs were in town, and gave Ujiri a hug and asked about his family.

"It sometimes puts a strain on relationships, as we saw with DeMar .... You build and you're trying to preach a culture of good, of trust, of being with people, and then you have to make this decision (to trade them).”

Ujiri found himself on the opposite end of that spectrum this past offseason. Although the Raptors won a title and pulled out all the stops in persuading Leonard to stay, the Finals MVP still ultimately chose to return to his hometown of Los Angeles. But at least in the case of Leonard, he remains on good terms with Ujiri, with both their families remaining close.

"I always say that the two hardest things in our world, in our business, is trading a player and then when a player leaves, if a player leaves in free agency," Ujiri said. "And it's hard on both sides. When a player is traded, it is hard on the player side, and when a player leaves, like us, it is hard on that side. I've experienced all of it, from wonderful people.”

"With Kawhi, we just built a relationship where we trusted each other, and that friendship has evolved even bigger after he left, and I'm proud of that. I support him with everything he does as a human being, and his family, and you move on. You've got to move on to the next ..."

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