Woj: I’d Be ‘Surprised’ If Raptors’ Bruce Brown Jr. Wasn’t Traded During Draft or FA

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After the Toronto Raptors retained forward Bruce Brown Jr. at Thursday’s trade deadline, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski believes he could be on the move this offseason.

“I would be surprised if he isn’t in a trade, either on draft night or at the start of free agency,” Wojnarowski said on his podcast, “The Woj Pod.”

Brown, who was dealt to the Raptors in a trade involving Pascal Siakam, is putting up 11.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game this season, though his scoring numbers have dipped since landing in Toronto and taking on a bench role.

According to Wojnarowski, the Raptors’ decision to hold on to Browns was due to several factors. While he believes Toronto didn’t see anything on the market worth moving Brown for, he also said the Raptors believed they could benefit from having Brown around their younger players. Brown won a championship with the Denver Nuggets last season.

Toronto has struggled this season, sitting in 12th place in the Western Conference at 18-33. Since trading Siakam in January, the Raptors have lost eight of 11 games, hurting their playoff chances even more.

The Raptors likely won’t be competing for a championship this season, but with a handful of assets they can move along with a few picks in the 2024 NBA Draft, Toronto will be looking for a big offseason.