NBA Rumors: Raptors' Bruce Brown Jr. Not Traded at Deadline Amid Lakers, Knicks Buzz

In a surprise turn of events, the Toronto Raptors are going to keep Bruce Brown Jr. around.

After weeks of rumors stating that the Toronto Raptors might trade the veteran guard ahead of the NBA's Thursday deadline, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Brown will remain in The Six for the remainder of the season.

The likes of the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers were among the teams linked to Brown leading up to the deadline, but the asking price was high with Toronto looking for at least a first-round pick in exchange for the veteran, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

Brown seemed like a prime trade candidate after being acquired from the Indiana Pacers in the Pascal Siakam deal. His two-year, $45 million contract that was signed in July was a terrific asset for a rebuilding team to build a trade around.

The second year of the contract is a team option, meaning he could either be used as an expiring contract this season or as a contributor for the 2024-25 season.

That financial flexibility made Brown an attractive trade chip, especially for a Raptors team that finally started a soft rebuild after moving on from Siakam and OG Anunoby.

Don't mistake Brown's constant movement since the end of last season as an indication he's not capable of making an impact for a playoff contender. The 27-year-old is an effective scorer, averaging 11.5 points per game on 47.3 percent shooting from the field.

Brown is also an extremely versatile defender who at one point in his career played every position on the floor, including as a small-ball five with the Brooklyn Nets. He's got the size and strength to defend at least three different positions.

Those qualities did make it easy for the Raptors to justify retaining Brown. They haven't gone all-in on a rebuild, especially with Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett playing well with Scottie Barnes since being acquired from the New York Knicks.

It also helps that Brown is only 27 years old, so he should have several more seasons of positive play ahead of him.

The Raptors aren't likely to challenge for a playoff spot this season, but they have set themselves up nicely to be an interesting contender in the Eastern Conference going forward.