San Antonio Spurs star DeMar DeRozan chose to refresh his Instagram this week, igniting speculation that he could be preparing for a potential trade.
DeRozan overhauls his Instagram semi-regularly, but the most infamous moment of his doing so was two summers ago, when he deleted all of his posts just prior to being dealt to the Spurs for Kawhi Leonard in the largest blockbuster trade in Toronto Raptors history.
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The Spurs have gotten off to a poor start this season, currently sitting 13th in the Western Conference with a 6-13 record and putting the franchise’s streak of 22-straight playoff appearances — tied for an NBA record — in jeopardy. DeRozan has been a significant factor in San Antonio’s lacklustre performance, with the Spurs being 8.2 points per 100 possessions better with him off the floor.
Despite all this, DeRozan was quick to shoot down the rumours of his bracing for a possible move.
“I don’t even like social media, honestly,” he told Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “I’m not a big fan of social media, never been. To this day I always wish I had played in the ’90s so I wouldn’t deal with social media. I just let people talk. Me, personally, I hate it… If it wasn’t a need in 2019, I wouldn’t have it.”
The 30-year-old has frequently used his Instagram as a small window into his mental health struggles, something that he has been outspoken about since first revealing them publicly in 2018, when he — along with Cleveland Cavaliers star Kevin Love — decided to use his platform to attempt to end the stigma surrounding the subject.
Trade season and the rumours that accompany it will certainly continue to heat up this coming month, as Dec. 15 marks the expiration of the restriction upon free agents who signed in the off-season. Said restriction keeps players from being dealt for up to three months after signing, or until Dec. 15, whichever arrives first.
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