New Team Enters Trade Talks for Raptors' Bruce Brown
The Utah Jazz have suddenly entered the Bruce Brown sweepstakes as the trade deadline nears.
Utah and the Toronto Raptors are said to have discussed a deal involving Brown for Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji, per Yahoo's Jake Fischer. It's unclear if there'd be draft pick compensation included in the deal for Toronto.
The Raptors have reportedly been looking for a first-round pick in exchange for the 27-year-old wing ahead of the deadline.
The 32-year-old Olynyk doesn't quite fit Toronto's long-term timeline, but he'd be a valuable stretch big man for the Raptors to pair alongside Scottie Barnes for the remainder of the season. He's averaging 8.1 points per game while shooting 42.9% from three-point range for the Jazz this year.
It's possible Olynyk, a Toronto native, could be re-routed in the trade to another contender in a bigger multi-team deal with the Raptors and the Jazz. The Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, and Golden State Warriors have all conveyed interest in Olynyk, Fischer wrote.
The 6-foot-5 Agbaji is in just his second season in the NBA, having been taken with the 14th pick in the 2022 draft. He's averaging 5.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game this season while shooting 42.6% from the field. While he hasn't shown much with the Jazz so far, he's just 23 years old and there's still potential for development moving forward.
The Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks both remain interested in Brown who is Toronto's most likely trade candidate ahead of the deadline.
At least one team is said to have offered the Raptors a first-round pick in exchange for Brown, according to Sportsnet's Michael Grange.
