Kings’ DeMar DeRozan discusses retiring with the Raptors—why he says ‘can’t turn something like that down.’ Giang.

Kyle Lowry has said on more than one occasion that he plans to retire as a member of the Toronto Raptors. DeMar DeRozan can relate.

“You definitely want to go out in a poetic way, especially where it all started,” he told Doug Smith of the Toronto Star on Friday. “If I had the opportunity to do something like that, you can’t turn something like that down, to put on that jersey for the last time, because it was the first jersey you put on.”

DeRozan, 35, spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Raptors, earning four All-Star Game selections during that time while leading the Raptors to five playoff berths. He was famously traded to the San Antonio Spurs ahead of the 2018-19 season in the deal that sent Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors, which resulted in a title for Toronto.

Since that trade, DeRozan spent three seasons with the Spurs and three with the Chicago Bulls, leading to a pair of playoff berths. He joined the Sacramento Kings this offseason. But it’s clear that he would love to end his career where he started it, back in Toronto.