NBA Rumors: Toronto Raptors Former Star Forward Set To Return

KEY POINTS

DeMar DeRozan spent nine seasons with the Raptors before getting traded
DeRozan was traded to San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Kawhi Leonard two seasons ago
Toronto is in the middle of offensive rating – and they need to address their needs in a small forward

After being traded away last season, the once was the franchise player of the team may find his way back to Canada.

Reports from Bleacher Report revealed that a possible reunion between the Toronto Raptors and their former star DeMar DeRozan is what the team needs in order to make a strong push to the playoffs and defend the NBA title.

Playing the three-spot for coach Gregg Popovich, DeRozan is having a great season with the San Antonio Spurs, averaging 22.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.2 asssists as a starter and those are the numbers that the Raptors need to address their glaring weakness in the small forward spot.

Adding the 30-year old DeRozan back to Toronto will not just cover the team’s deficiency in the position that he plays in but as well as something that the crowd will love and that could give the squad a much-needed boost. Picked ninth overall in the 2009 NBA Draft, Toronto welcomed a 19-year old forward from the University of Southern California and has been a consistent starter for all his games for the Canadian-backed squad after his first season.

Not counting is rookie season where he averaged 8.6 points a game, the California-born DeRozan produced a consistent double-digit scoring for Toronto, averaging at least 16.7 points in his tenure with the Raptors.

The possible reunion could also be another chance for the DeRozan-Kyle Lowry combination with Fred VanVleet, Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka – who were about to be free agents this offseason – and first-time All-Star Pascal Siakam already experienced the tough grind of making it to the playoffs en route to winning the championship against the Golden State Warriors last season.

That proposal, though, will only be possible with Toronto also shipping out one of their key players, possible Gasol or Ibaka for salary restrictions on top of cash considerations.

Toronto has one of the best defense in the league but is somehow halfway the list of teams in offense. DeRozan could give them not just the numbers on the board, but an uplifting mood to the entire Toronto community.