Raptors welcome surprise pick Bruno Caboclo to Toronto, will play in Summer League and NBA

The Toronto Raptors shocked the basketball world on Thursday night by selecting little-known Brazilian prospect Bruno Caboclo with the No. 20 pick, immediately putting him in select company as a name that stumped draftniks.

On Saturday, the team introduced Caboclo to assembled media in Toronto and pulled back the curtain some on the process that led to him being chosen. Here's a brief round-up.

About Bruno - Person

• 18 years old
• Loves to take selfies
• Brazilian
• Big smile
• "He grew up tough in Sao Paolo. I don’t want to say too much about his family and some of the things we know. He grew up in a not-so-great environment. Great kid." - Masai Ujiri
• "I’m afraid of not becoming as good as I can be." - Caboclo, via translator

About Bruno - Basketball

• 6-foot-8, 7-foot-6 wingspan
• "He’s a gym rat, and he’s competitive. If he doesn’t do a drill well, he will want to finish it. That’s him. He’s a great kid. Loves basketball. He wants to be in the gym every second." - Ujiri
• "He’s in Brazil, not playing much for a club, playing a couple minutes a game. It’s an outright gamble." - Ujiri
• The hope is he becomes a talented defender thanks to his length. He may also be able to develop NBA 3-point range, but it's too early to tell what kind of offensive player he may be.

About Bruno - Process

• "Honestly, I don’t do it for reactions of anybody. I don’t know. I shouldn’t say this, but I don’t care." - Ujiri
• Team was worried he wouldn't make it to No. 37 pick, so when top targets with No. 20 were gone, they jumped.
• "There’s no data in terms of his playing experience. That’s why it’s a gamble with an 18-year-old kid." - Ujiri
• "I don’t want to think about anywhere else that could be better for him than this city, this organization." - Eduardo Resende, Caboclo's advisor

About Bruno - What's Next?

• Will be flying to L.A. to work out with DeMar DeRozan, Terrence Ross, Amir Johnson and DeAndre Daniels.
• Caboclo will play for the Raptors' Summer League team in Las Vegas in mid-July.
• He will be on the NBA roster next season, not stashed overseas.
• He could see D-League time, though this is complicated some by the Raptors not having control over an exclusive affiliate.

[Quotes Courtesy National Post and Toronto Star, linked within]