DeMar DeRozan Re-Signs with Raptors: Contract Details, Reaction

DeMar DeRozan is sticking with the Toronto Raptors after the sides reached an agreement, the team confirmed on Thursday.

Raptors president and general manager Masai Ujiri noted the importance of retaining DeRozan:

"

Our top priority in the offseason was to make sure DeMar remained a Raptor. He has been a foundation for our franchise, a leader who exemplifies the culture we are developing and a key contributor in our success.

We are delighted that after seven seasons DeMar wanted to remain in Toronto to help us continue to build a championship program.

"

Shams Charania of The Vertical first reported on July 1 that DeRozan and the Raptors agreed to a five-year contract worth over $139 million.

DeRozan has steadily developed into one of the NBA's most dangerous wing assets. He's coming off a campaign in Toronto where he averaged 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists while setting career highs in three-point and free-throw percentage (33.8 percent and 85.0 percent, respectively).

The USC product arrived in Toronto as a raw talent with a boatload of upside when the Raptors selected him with the ninth pick in the 2009 draft. It's taken several years for him to realize that potential, but those stats show he started to reach his peak this past season.

He was among the best shooting guards in the league based on player efficiency rating, according to ESPN.com's Hollinger stats:

Rank	Player	Team	PER
1	James Harden	Rockets	25.36
2	DeMar DeRozan	Raptors	21.58
3	Jimmy Butler	Bulls	21.33
4	Dwyane Wade	Heat	20.42
5	Klay Thompson	Warriors	18.67

DeRozan didn't live up to those standards during the team's postseason run, though, in part due to a thumb injury he suffered in the second round. He shot a shade under 40 percent from the field, including a 15 percent clip from beyond the arc, making him very much a volume scorer across 20 playoff games.

Michael Lee of The Vertical noted during the Raptors' second-round series with the Miami Heat that the guard wasn't concerned about how the drop-off in performance or his injured thumb could impact his offseason expectations.

"I've never been one of those guys to be like, 'Why? Why did this happen, or why'd it happen now?'" DeRozan said. "It's part of the game. You've got to take the good with the bad sometimes. I'm going to fight through it, deal with it and go from there with it. I've got a whole summer to let it heal and figure itself out."

He didn't let those struggles change his outlook, as Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com confirmed in mid-June that the guard had predictably opted out of his contract a couple of days before the deadline.

In the end, DeRozan decided the best move was simply sticking with the Raptors. He's found a comfort zone over the past seven years, and staying in Toronto ensures he won't experience the transition period and high level of pressure that comes with joining a new organization.

It's worth noting he's maintained his love for Toronto throughout the process. In February, the California native called it "home" and said it would be "pretty tough" to lure him elsewhere if he did enter free agency, as relayed by Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

DeRozan will assume his usual role in the backcourt alongside Kyle Lowry. It's great news for the Raptors, who would have struggled mightily to replace him and can now focus on upgrading the roster elsewhere during the rest of the offseason.