This Starter Won't Be on the Spurs for the 2020-2021 Season

The Spurs took a big gamble in trading away Kawhi Leonard for DeMar DeRozan. At the time, it seemed like the best deal San Antonio could possibly get for a player who was clearly dissatisfied.

DeRozan was coming off a successful career in Toronto and hoped to maintain the Spurs' championship pedigree. Unfortunately, they could not predict how difficult the break from Toronto would be for DeRozan and the challenges of his tenure in San Antonio, leaving the former All-Star as the player who will likely exit the Spurs roster as they look toward a rebuild.

Ultimately, the Spurs were unable to get a deal done to send off DeRozan before the trade deadline, but with a player option this offseason, the 30-year-old will have the option to depart San Antonio himself. That seems to be the expectation.

DeRozan expressed his displeasure with being traded from Toronto and it seems that wound has never healed. Since arriving in San Antonio, DeRozan has been unable to lead the Spurs to 50 wins or past the first round of the playoffs. Despite remaining statistically consistent, the four-time All-Star in Toronto is yet to receive the accolade in Texas, accompanied by his overall dissatisfaction down South.

That statistical consistency though makes DeRozan a valuable piece in the free agency market. Despite a crowded field this offseason, DeRozan is a scoring guard who brings great value to any franchise, but his isolation style of play is one that does not work with a Spurs team looking to develop younger players on the roster.

DeRozan's unique skill-set was not the right fit in San Antonio, meaning that his departure is a high possibility, but other teams will likely be looking to add the talented guard to their roster.