The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have acquired guard-forward Bruce Brown, guard Kira Lewis Jr. (KY-ruh), forward Jordan Nwora (WORE-uh) and three first round draft picks from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for forward Pascal Siakam. In a corresponding move, the Raptors have also waived centre Christian Koloko (co-LOW-co).
“Pascal is a champion, an integral part of winning teams and an example of what can be achieved with dedication, perseverance, hard work and tenacity. We’re lucky to have seen Pascal develop into the man and player that he is today – and we are grateful for everything he has done for our city and for our franchise. We wish him all good things,” Raptors Vice-Chairman and President Masai Ujiri said. “This is a time of change for our team, and we welcome Bruce, Jordan and Kira to the Raptors and to Toronto. Bruce is a world champion, and we look forward to his two-way play and added toughness on the court. We continue the work of getting better every day, and continue moving forward in our quest to win here in Toronto.”
Brown, 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, is averaging a career-high 12.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 29.7 minutes in 33 games (all starts) this season. He is shooting .475 (149-314) from the field, .327 (33-101) from three-point range and .817 (67-82) at the free throw line. Brown has scored in double figures 22 times, including a season-best 30 points Dec. 2 at Miami. He recorded his lone double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds at Denver on Jan. 14.
Now in his sixth season, Brown is averaging 8.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 25.0 minutes in 382 career games (245 starts) with Detroit, Brooklyn, Denver and Indiana. The Boston native was picked in the second round (42nd overall) by the Pistons in the 2018 NBA Draft following two collegiate seasons at Miami.
Nwora, 6-foot-9, 220 pounds, is averaging 5.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 10.2 minutes in 18 contests this season. He is shooting .451 (37-82) from the floor and scored a season-high 19 points Nov. 19 against Orlando.
A native of Buffalo, New York, Nwora was picked in the second round (45th overall) by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2020 NBA Draft. He holds career averages of 7.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 16.5 minutes in 172 games (29 starts) with Milwaukee and Indiana. Prior to the NBA, Nwora played three seasons at Louisville (2017-20) where he was a First Team All-ACC selection as a junior.
Lewis, 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, was acquired earlier Wednesday by 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 owns career averages of 5.4 points, 1.8 assists and 13.8 minutes in 118 career appearances with the Pelicans. A native of Meridianville, Alabama, Lewis played two collegiate seasons at Alabama (2018-20) prior to being picked 13th overall by New Orleans in the 2020 NBA Draft. As a sophomore, he earned All-SEC First Team honours with the Crimson Tide.
Siakam was picked 27th overall by the Raptors in the 2016 NBA Draft. He averaged 17.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 31.0 minutes in 510 games (416 starts) in eight seasons with Toronto. Siakam was named to the All-NBA Team in 2019-20 (Second Team) and 2021-22 (Third Team), earned All-Star honours twice (2020, 2023), and became the first player in team history to win the NBA’s Most Improved Player (2018-19).
Siakam helped the Raptors capture their first NBA championship in 2019, and departs Toronto ranked third on the franchise’s all-time rebounds list (3,324), and fifth in scoring (8,875), assists (1846) and games played (510).
Koloko averaged 3.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 13.8 minutes in 58 games as a rookie with the Raptors last season after being picked 33rd overall in the 2022 NBA Draft.