DeMar DeRozan is popping up everywhere! In celebration of former Raptors teammate Kyle Lowry, the now-former Sacramento King was back in Toronto. What makes that compelling is that it could preface a similar situation for him north of the border, one that's unlikely to happen in Sactown.
After 20 years in the NBA, Lowry has decided to call it a career. He is retiring, though he has one day left. Lowry's longest and most successful run in the league was as a Raptor. He was a six-time All-Star during his nine years there, and won his only NBA Championship wearing that jersey.
While Lowry hasn't been a Raptor since 2021, the franchise is signing him to a one-day contract so he can officially retire as a member of the team. This will be followed by the team retiring Lowry's jersey on January 7, 2027, during a game against his hometown team, the 76ers.
Recently, there were pre-season festivities in Toronto honoring Lowry, who many consider to be the greatest Raptor of all time. Several current and former NBA stars were there, including DeRozan. Deebo spent nine seasons in Toronto and was traded to the Spurs for Kawhi Leonard in 2018.
Sacramento isn't going to roll out the red carpet for DeRozan
The Kings will face off against DeRozan three times next season, two of which will happen in Golden 1 Center. It's going to be a positive experience for both sides. There was no bad blood between him and the franchise when they waived him. It was the right time to end the partnership for everyone.
At the same time, it's not going to be this big of a deal. He was only in Sacramento for two seasons, and it didn't go particularly well. That's not DeRozan's fault by any stretch of the imagination. It just wasn't a scenario that anyone is going to want to celebrate. That likely includes DeRozan.
The Raptors, on the other hand, are on a different path. There has been speculation that DeRozan's jersey will be the next one in the rafters. The team moved him the season before their title win, but he played a major role in building the team that got them there. He was a huge part of the organization.
This season will see DeRozan put on a Denver Nuggets jersey for the first time, the fifth team in his NBA run. Retirement has to be right around the corner for him, as well, so playing with Nikola Jokic is likely his last chance for a title. When he retires, look to the 6ix for his honors, not Sacramento.
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