Raptors and Jazz in trade talks involving Canadian centre Kelly Olynyk: report
The Toronto Raptors could be getting an injection of Canadian talent before the trade deadline.
The Raptors are rumoured to be in trade talks involving Kelly Olynyk with the Utah Jazz. The Canadian centre has averaged 8.1 points and 5.1 rebounds in just over 20 minutes per game so far this season.
The proposed framework involves the Raptors sending Bruce Brown Jr. in exchange for Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji and draft picks, according to Yahoo! Sports senior NBA reporter Jake Fischer.
The bundle of draft picks will include at least one first-rounder if the Raptors get their way.
Agbaji is averaging just 5.4 points per game this season but is still only 23 years old and has potential. He was drafted in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Brown Jr. was acquired from the Indiana Pacers when the Raptors traded longtime starter Pascal Siakam earlier this year. As teams admire his versatility, he’s one of the top candidates to get moved before tomorrow’s 3 pm ET trade deadline.
The Raptors are 17-33 and currently sit in 12th place in the Eastern Conference.
While they have an outside chance at qualifying for the play-in round, their moves so far this year suggest that they want to sell off any significant assets and accumulate draft picks — hence the likelihood of a Brown Jr. transaction.
Olynyk was born in Toronto and grew up in Kamloops, British Columbia. The 32-year-old has carved out an NBA career as a stretch big and while he’s not a star, he can still contribute.
There are currently two Canadian players already on the Raptors roster: RJ Barrett and Chris Boucher. If they were to acquire Olynyk, he would become the ninth Canadian in franchise history.
Olynyk played on the Canadian team that captured a historic bronze medal over the USA last year at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.