Buffalo’s Jordan Nwora traded to Toronto Raptors

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Jordan Nwora was traded to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday as part of a package of players and draft picks the Indiana Pacers exchanged for All-Star forward Pascal Siakam, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press.

Nwora, an All-Western New York player for The Park School of Buffalo, will be joining his third professional team in his fourth NBA season. He was drafted out of University of Louisville in the second round in 2020, and won a championship in his rookie season before getting traded to Indiana last February.

The 6-foot-8 forward has appeared in 18 of 40 games for the Pacers this season, averaging 5.2 points in 10.2 minutes. After last season’s trade, Nwora averaged 13 points over 24.6 minutes in 24 games, shooting 42% from 3-point range. In 172 NBA games, Nwora has averaged 7.5 points in 16.5 minutes, shooting 38% from long range. He is in the final season of a two-year, $5.8 million contract.

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Nwora was traded along with starting guard Bruce Brown and three first-round draft picks for Siakim, said the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade was still pending NBA approval.

ESPN, which first reported the full terms of the trade, also said the New Orleans Pelicans were involved and would send Kira Lewis to Toronto as part of the deal. That move would put the Pelicans in position to get below the luxury tax threshold. It is a huge move for Indiana, the NBA’s highest-scoring team this season. The Pacers entered Wednesday at No. 6 in the Eastern Conference and now get to pair Siakam alongside All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton.

Siakam is in the final year of his contract, one that pays him nearly $38 million this season, and becomes eligible this summer to sign a five-year deal that could be worth as much as $247 million. An All-Star in 2020 and 2023, Siakam is averaging 22.2 points this season, and in parts of his eight years with the Raptors he averaged 17.4 points and 6.5 rebounds.

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Nwora played in the 2020 Olympic Games for Nigeria, the home country of his father Alex Nwora, the longtime coach at Erie Community College. Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri is director of the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders Africa program.

Currently in 12th place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 15-25 record, the Raptors host the Miami Heat on Wednesday night, and the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night, before visiting the New York Knicks on Saturday.

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Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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