DeMar DeRozan opens up about how the trade from Toronto deeply impacted him: "It f--ked me up"

DeMar DeRozan is big on loyalty and has shown that throughout his illustrious 15-year career. That's why the trade from Toronto to San Antonio in 2018 was a major blow for him. In an emotional tell-all on "The Pivot" podcast, DeRozan opened up about how the trade affected him deeply.

Toronto was home

The crafty 6-foot-6 wingman considered Toronto his home. After a challenging rookie season, he quickly became the face of the franchise, partnering with his best friend Kyle Lowry to transform the Raptors into perennial contenders, making it as far as the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals, where they fell to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In July 2018, the unthinkable happened: DeRozan, who spent the first nine seasons of his career in Toronto, was sent to San Antonio in a blockbuster trade involving Kawhi Leonard. The development left Deebo in shambles as it meant he was leaving a place he had wanted to spend his entire career in.

"It f--ked me up, I'm being honest. It's crazy. I'm more than comfortable talking about it now but for the longest time, it f--ked me up because, one, that was the place I wanted to be, thought I was going to be, gave everything to," DeRozan shared .

The former USC Trojan said his goal was to raise Toronto's profile in the NBA. Before his arrival, the farthest the Raptors had gone in the postseason was the semifinal round in 2001, where they got beaten by Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers.

"Like my whole motivation and drive was to simply put Toronto on the map. I wanted to follow the whole motto of, you know, Kobe, my favorite player, I wanted to play on one team. I had it all mapped out," the three-time All-NBA team member added.

Happened at the worst possible time

While trades are part of the NBA's fabric, it still doesn't feel good when a is involved in one, especially when they've put their heart and soul into a team. For DeRozan, the trade happened at the worst possible time—when his father began getting sick. Although his production remained as solid as ever with the Spurs, the move to San Antonio shook him.

"When I got traded, it was such a blow because, at the time, I was dealing with my family stuff; like you said, that was when my dad first started getting sick. That was the first time in my professional career where I just felt like out of it, I felt lost. I started to question every single thing," DeMar stressed.

Six years have passed since the Raptors traded Deebo, but the pain and hurt are still evident. The trade clearly had a deep impact on him, both personally and professionally.

"It hit hard because everybody knew how much I wanted to be there, how much I gave to the city. It was one of those emotional trades. It took me a while, man. I was messed up for a while," DeRozan remarked.

Despite the initial turbulence, the "King of the Fourth" has found a new home with the Chicago Bulls. Now approaching free agency, DeRozan has expressed his willingness to stay in the Windy City and finish his career there, trying to bring the once-proud franchise back to elite status.

Related: DeMar DeRozan firmly believes NBA players can make it to the NFL: "Basketball players could almost do anything if you give us 2-3 months to prepare for it"