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Damian Lillard Tags DeMar DeRozan on Instagram: 'It's a Dirty Game'

Mike Chiari@mikechiariX.com LogoFeatured ColumnistAugust 2, 2018

Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan drives to the basket on Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. (AP Photo/Steve Dykes)
Steve Dykes/Associated Press

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard addressed new San Antonio Spurs shooting guard DeMar DeRozan in an Instagram post Wednesday.

Lillard posted a photo of himself and DeRozan slapping hands, tagged DeRozan and wrote, "It's a dirty game." The post was presumably in reference to DeRozan's trade to San Antonio from the Toronto Raptors.

Last month, Toronto dealt DeRozan, center Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round pick to the Spurs for small forward Kawhi Leonard and shooting guard Danny Green.

According to ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski, DeRozan wrote the following on his Instagram story after news of the trade broke: "Be told one thing & the outcome another. Can't trust em. Ain't no loyalty in this game. Sell you out quick for a little bit of nothing... Soon you'll understand... Don't disturb..."

Raptors President Masai Ujiri later apologized publicly to DeRozan for any miscommunication that may have occurred, per ESPN.com:

"I had a conversation with DeMar at summer league, and I really want to leave it at that. We spoke ... I think maybe my mistake was talking about what we expected going forward from him. So, not necessarily talking about a trade but what I expect from him going forward, and I think that's where the gap was. ...

"In my job, I always have to assume we're going forward with the team that I have. If there was a miscommunication there, I do apologize to DeMar and his family and his representation. It's not what I meant."

The 28-year-old DeRozan spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Raptors, and he was named an All-Star in four of the past five campaigns.

DeRozan helped lead Toronto to a franchise-record 59 wins last season, but with the Raptors unable to do damage in the playoffs (swept in the second round), they rolled the dice by acquiring a former NBA Finals MVP in Leonard.