5 players the Toronto Raptors chose to hold onto way too long
By Mike Luciano
3. Bruno Caboclo
The “two years away from being two years away” draft night dig haunted Caboclo forever. After being picked No. 20 overall despite nary a mock draft even projecting him as a draftable player, Caboclo’s 6-9 frame and 7-7 wingspan was held in high regard by Masai Ujiri.
Even if he was not to contribute early, Ujiri could eventually reap the benefits once he figured things out. Unfortunately, the lightbulb never switched on, and Caboclo’s career stands out as one of the worst in recent memory for a first-rounder in terms of production.
Bruno Caboclo never developed for the Toronto Raptors.
Caboclo scored just 27 points in four seasons with the Raptors. DJ Wilson outscored him in four games with the Raptors, while Armoni Brooks and Goran Dragic can claim to have more impressive Raptors careers than him. Nevertheless, Toronto held onto him every year, hoping he would thrive.
Caboclo has a very brief stint as a rotation player with the Grizzlies before heading back to the international ranks. The Raptors seemed to be the only team in the league that was convinced that he could eventually become something, and they got burned by not getting something for him in a trade.