4 Raptors who failed to meet expectations amidst dismal season

No. 2: Bruce Brown

When the Raptors traded for the aforementioned Ochai Agbaji at the Trade Deadline they were buying low on a talented prospect who was having a slow start to his season; there was risk assumed in the deal that he wouldn't rebound in Toronto.

What the Raptors certainly didn't expect was that Bruce Brown would play so poorly for them. Perhaps they should have; he is the ultimate connector, a player who fits in beautifully on a good team with plenty of floor-spacing but has struggled when playing on less potent teams. It's hard to get less potent than the Toronto Raptors over the last few months of the season.

Even so, the Raptors traded for Brown hoping to flip him for a first-round pick to a contender, and instead he played so poorly the Raptors may need to decline his $23 million team option for next season. In a low-usage role Brown averaged just 9.6 points per game and shot 31.7 percent from 3-point range.

More so, Brown was the culprit in a number of close losses after arriving from the Indiana Pacers, seeming to tank lineups that he stepped into. He was a -22 in a one-point loss to the Atlanta Hawks, -21 in just 20 minutes in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and -12 in an 11-point loss to the Dallas Mavericks. The Raptors weren't a good team, but even when they had chances to win it seemed like playing Bruce Brown snatched that away.

Brown may or may not be back on the Raptors next season, but after a charmed run to the NBA Championship with the Denver Nuggets in 2022-23 he has some work to do to regain his image around the league.