Brooks for Anunoby? Details leak of failed Raptors-Grizzlies trade

Despite many interested suitors around the league, the Toronto Raptors ended up being buyers instead of sellers at this past year’s trade deadline.

With trade conversations swirling around everyone on the roster from Pascal Siakam to Gary Trent Jr. to O.G. Anunoby to Fred VanVleet, the Raptors opted to trade just one rostered player — Khem Birch — along with a series of draft picks to San Antonio in exchange for Jakob Poeltl.

Toronto was viewed as a place for the NBA’s top contenders to pick up some talent for their postseason run, but weeks of rumours ultimately came to nothing when the team executed just one trade this past season.

But ESPN’s Tim MacMahon hinted on Monday’s episode of The Hoop Collective podcast that the Raptors were among the teams the Memphis Grizzlies were trying to trade Dillon Brooks to Toronto as part of a package for Anunoby.

“They tried to upgrade at the trade deadline. They threw 4 picks at the Nets trying to get Mikal Bridges,” MacMahon said on the episode. “They really weren’t able to get the Raptors in serious conversations, but they would have given up a few picks to get O.G. Anunoby. They’ve tried to move on from Dillon Brooks already.”

A clip from @espn_macmahon reporting that Memphis tried to trade Dillon Brooks to Toronto:
“They really weren’t able to get the #Raptors in serious conversations, but they would have given up a few picks to get O.G. Anunoby. They’ve tried to move on from Dillon Brooks already.” pic.twitter.com/bofIZ1YYLt

— Adam Laskaris (@adam_la2karis) April 24, 2023

Both players similarly are often tasked with guarding the other team’s top players, though Brooks’ fiery persona differs greatly from the usually stone-faced Anunoby.

“I want them to be angry, off-kilter emotionally,” Brooks told ESPN’s Tim Keown in March. “With some guys, there’s fear, 100%. They don’t want to talk to me or even look at me.”

Brooks averaged 14.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 73 games this season while picking up 0.9 steals per game in 30.3 minutes a game as a part of Memphis’ starting unit.

Meanwhile, Anunoby averaged 16.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 67 games this season while leading the league with 1.9 steals per game.

The full episode is available below:

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