The Los Angeles Lakers are in need of some reinforcements if they are to become legitimate championship contenders again. They have a good roster as of now, but it simply isn’t good enough to compete for the NBA’s grand prize.
While a lot of the trade rumors surrounding the team have involved big names such as Trae Young and Donovan Mitchell, Los Angeles could also look to simply add more depth and complementary players. One player it has been interested in for a while is Bruce Brown, a multi-faceted wing who plays for the Toronto Raptors.
The Lakers wanted to get him last summer when he left the Denver Nuggets after winning it all. Instead, he went to the Indiana Pacers, who then traded him to the Toronto Raptors in the deal that brought them Pascal Siakam.
Multiple reports, including one in the Toronto Star, have indicated that Brown could be on the move this summer.
Via Toronto Star:
“The sense from a handful of league sources is that the Raptors are likely to pick up the option, then turn around and deal Brown quickly rather than wait until the 2025 trade deadline,” wrote Doug Smith.
While Brown isn’t a very good 3-point shooter (he made just 32.3% of his 3-point attempts this season), he is an excellent and versatile defender who can help out on the boards and even handle the ball and facilitate at times.
He can play both guard positions and could become an integral rotation player for a Lakers team that lacks true two-way players, especially on the perimeter.
If Toronto picks up his option for next season, he will make $23 million for the 2024-25 campaign. That would make his price a bit steep for the Lakers, but if they’re unable to get Young, Mitchell, Dejounte Murray or some other star or borderline star-level player, perhaps Brown could be a fall-back nice option.
In that scenario, the 6-foot-4 guard would be a nice connector player alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He could even come onto the court for D’Angelo Russell (if Russell remains with L.A.) in key situations when Russell is struggling, which would somewhat reduce the team’s need for Russell to play outstanding basketball in every game.