DeMar DeRozan’s name still carries weight north of the border - and for good reason. Drafted ninth overall by the Toronto Raptors in 2009, DeRozan didn’t just play in Toronto - he became Toronto.
Over nine seasons, he grew from a raw prospect into the face of the franchise, leading the Raptors to multiple playoff appearances and, in 2016, their first-ever trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. For a team still carving out its identity in a league dominated by legacy franchises, DeRozan’s rise was a turning point.
But not everyone sees that era through rose-colored glasses.
During a livestream on Thursday, Phoenix Suns guard Dillon Brooks didn’t hold back when asked about DeRozan’s time in Toronto. Speaking with AMP streamer Agent, Brooks called DeRozan’s Raptors tenure “a disappointment,” pointing to the team’s repeated postseason shortcomings.
“I’ll be real for the city, bro,” Brooks said. “DeRozan was not holding his weight out there.
He couldn’t win. He made the playoffs every year.
One time a 1 seed. One time a 5 seed.
He run into LeBron, can’t do nothing.”
Brooks wasn’t done. He continued, “You can choke, but you can’t go to media and say, like, ‘Can’t do nothing without LeBron.’”
It’s a sharp critique - and one that’s sure to stir debate among Raptors fans who watched DeRozan pour everything into the franchise. Yes, the team repeatedly ran into LeBron James in the playoffs, and yes, those series often ended in heartbreak. But it’s hard to ignore the context: LeBron was at the peak of his powers, and Toronto, despite its regular-season success, never quite had the firepower to match up in the postseason.
Still, the Raptors made a bold move in 2018, trading DeRozan to the San Antonio Spurs in a blockbuster deal that brought Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to Toronto. That trade, as history now shows, changed everything. Leonard led the team to its first NBA championship in 2019 - a title run that validated the front office’s gamble and, for some, cast a shadow over DeRozan’s time with the team.
Brooks leaned into that narrative, doubling down on his take. “Yeah, you know why?
It’s because they got DeRozan out of there. He wasn’t pulling his own weight.
It was his fault. I’m just keeping it real,” he said.
DeRozan, for his part, has never shied away from his belief that the Raptors could’ve won it all with him still on the roster. It’s a what-if that still lingers in Toronto basketball circles: Could the core of DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, and company have broken through if given more time? Or was the Leonard trade the necessary jolt that turned potential into a parade?
Since the trade, DeRozan has carved out a strong second act to his career. He spent three seasons with the Spurs, then three more with the Chicago Bulls, before joining the Sacramento Kings in 2024. While he’s yet to capture that elusive championship, his consistency, leadership, and mid-range mastery have kept him relevant in a league increasingly dominated by pace-and-space play.
As for Leonard, his stay in Toronto was brief but legendary. One season.
One ring. And one shot - that iconic corner fade over Joel Embiid - that will live forever in Raptors lore.
He left for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019, but his impact in Toronto is permanent.
In the end, Brooks’ comments are sure to fuel conversation, but they also reflect a broader truth about the NBA: legacies are complicated. DeRozan may not have delivered a title to Toronto, but he helped build the foundation that made one possible. And for many fans, that still matters.