Bruce Brown had to go through plenty of hoops just so he could make his Raptors debut on Thursday against the Bulls.
It has been a whirlwind past day or so for those involved in the blockbuster trade that sent Pascal Siakam from the Toronto Raptors to the Indiana Pacers. In fact, Bruce Brown, who wasted no time in making his debut for the Raptors, had to go through plenty of hoops just so he wouldn’t miss a beat on the hardwood.
News of the trade broke on Wednesday afternoon, and there Brown was, able to suit up for the Raptors’ 7 p.m. Eastern Time matchup against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night.
It was a borderline miracle that he was able to do so, as according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN, Brown went through a “kinda crazy” ordeal where had to fly all the way from Sacramento (where the Pacers were in preparation for their Thursday game against the Kings), to Indiana, and then to Toronto so he could go through his medical.
Bruce Brown flew from the Pacific time zone all the way Eastern, losing three hours in the process. Thankfully for the newest Raptors guard, Toronto’s next game after the trade was at home. Brown did not have to fly to Chicago to face the Bulls, so that at least should have allowed him to gain some semblance of normalcy after a dizzying 32-hour stretch.
Even though Brown must have been fatigued from how quickly things changed for him in the aftermath of the Pascal Siakam trade, he was still able to play 25 minutes in their 116-110 loss to the Bulls. Coming off the bench for the Raptors in his debut, the 27-year old guard put up 15 points and seven rebounds, providing a bit of a scoring punch for a team that engaged in a more egalitarian offense.
As hectic as Brown’s life must have been as of late, he may not be done changing addresses. There are a few contending teams interested in trading for Brown, and it stands to reason that the Raptors, given their pivot to more of a youth movement, will be inclined to listen to offers. At the very least, if the New York Knicks end up being his new home, he wouldn’t have to change time zones.
READ MORE…
