In a trade agreement with the Indiana Pacers, the Toronto Raptors have obtained guard-forward Bruce Brown, guard Kira Lewis Jr., and forward Jordan Nwora, alongside three first round draft picks in exchange for forward Pascal Siakam.
Meanwhile, the Raptors have opted to release centre Christian Koloko.
Raptors Vice-Chairman and President Masai Ujiri expressed, “Pascal embodies the qualities of a champion and has been an essential part of victorious teams, serving as an illustration of what can be accomplished through commitment, persistence, diligence, and determination. We have been fortunate to witness the evolution of Pascal into the individual and athlete he is today, and we express our gratitude for his contributions to our city and franchise. We extend our best wishes to him. This marks a period of transformation for our team, and we extend a warm welcome to Bruce, Jordan, and Kira as they join the Raptors and the city of Toronto. Bruce, a world champion, brings an added level of robustness and a two-pronged approach to his performance on the court. Our commitment to continual improvement and progress in our pursuit of triumph here in Toronto remains unwavering.”
Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard stated, “We are absolutely thrilled to embrace Pascal in Indiana. As a two-time All-NBA selection and two-time NBA All Star, Pascal is a player whom our organization has long held in high regard and respect. We are of the opinion that his unique offensive skill set will harmonize with our style of play, while his defensive adaptability will be a valuable asset to our team.”
Pascal Siakam is scheduled to wear the number 43 jersey for the Pacers.
Brown, at 6-foot-4 and weighing 200 pounds, has achieved a career-high of 12.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 29.7 minutes in 33 games (all starts) this season. His shooting percentagesCurrently, Brown’s shooting percentages are at .475 (149-314) from the field, .327 (33-101) from beyond the arc, and .817 (67-82) at the charity stripe. He has reached double-digit points in 22 instances, achieving a season-high performance of 30 points on Dec. 2 against Miami. His singular double-double occurred with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the game at Denver on Jan. 14.
In his sixth season, Brown holds career averages of 8.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 25.0 minutes in 382 career games (245 starts) across Detroit, Brooklyn, Denver, and Indiana. Born in Boston, he was selected in the second round (42nd overall) by the Pistons in the 2018 NBA Draft after completing two collegiate seasons at Miami.
Nwora, standing at 6-foot-9 and weighing 220 pounds, has maintained averages of 5.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 10.2 minutes in 18 matchups this season. He has a shooting percentage of .451 (37-82) from the floor and recorded a season-high of 19 points on Nov. 19 versus Orlando.
Hailing from Buffalo, New York, Nwora was chosen in the second round (45th overall) by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2020 NBA Draft. He holds a career average of 7.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 16.5 minutes in 172 games (29 starts) combined between Milwaukee and Indiana. Before his NBA tenure, Nwora played three seasons at Louisville (2017-20) where he received recognition as a First Team All-ACC selection during his junior year.
Weighing 175 pounds and standing at 6-foot-2, Lewis transitioned to the Pacers from the New Orleans Pelicans. He is averaging 2.9 points, 1.2 assists, and 9.6 minutes in 15 games this season. Lewis holds career averages of 1.8 assists and 13.8 minutes in 118 total appearances for the Pelicans. Originally from Meridianville, Alabama, Lewis spent two years at Alabama (2018-20) before being selected as the 13th overall pick by New Orleans in the 2020 NBA Draft. During his second year, he secured the All-SEC First Team accolades with the Crimson Tide.
The 27th overall pick in his sophomore year, SiakamThe Raptors selected Siakam as their top choice in the 2016 NBA Draft. He maintained an average of 17.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists, playing for 31.0 minutes in 510 games (416 of which he started) throughout his eight seasons with Toronto. Siakam’s exceptional accomplishments include being appointed to the All-NBA Team in 2019-20 (Second Team) and 2021-22 (Third Team), receiving All-Star recognition twice (2020, 2023), and becoming the first player in team history to secure the NBA’s Most Improved Player title (2018-19).
In 2019, Siakam contributed to the Raptors claiming their first NBA championship and he leaves Toronto with the third-highest number of rebounds in the franchise’s history (3,324), as well as ranking fifth in scoring (8,875), assists (1,846) and games played (510).
Koloko managed to score 3.1 points, secure 2.9 rebounds, and play for 13.8 minutes in 58 games as a rookie for the Raptors last season, after being chosen as the 33rd overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Image Source: Toronto Raptors @ Instagram
