Tag: Bruce Brown

NBA insider names eight potential trade targets for the Lakers

Who could the Lakers go after in a trade either this summer or before this winter’s trade deadline?

At this point in the offseason, after the Los Angeles Lakers failed to sign any free agents, the only way they can upgrade their roster is through a trade. While they have a good roster that should make the playoffs if they stay relatively healthy, they don’t seem to be championship contenders by any stretch.

The Lakers’ needs are (in no particular order) an upgrade in terms of a ball-handling guard with better quickness and defense, a 3-and-D wing and a serviceable defensive center.

According to NBA insider Jake Weinbach, there are eight players to watch as far as possible trade targets for Los Angeles: Darius Garland, Bruce Brown, Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Jerami Grant, Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith and Wendell Carter Jr.

Carter is someone who could solve the Lakers’ need for another legitimate center other than Anthony Davis. Although he has been injury-prone, he has shown the ability to rebound and occasionally hit 3-pointers.

Garland and Sexton would represent possible backcourt upgrades for the Lakers, while Brown, Johnson and Finney-Smith are intriguing 3-and-D wings.

Grant is someone the Lakers have been rumored to have serious interest in this summer. Having averaged 21.0 points a game this past summer, he could give them a legitimate third scoring option and another 3-point sniper, and he’s also a pretty good defender.

Markkanen would be the loftiest target on this list. He put up 24.5 points and 8.4 rebounds a game over the last two seasons while making the All-Star team in the 2022-23 campaign, and a number of teams are thought to be after his services.

The Lakers have limited trade assets, but their upcoming first-round draft picks in 2029 and 2031 could be seen as valuable by some other team.

Insider: Lakers are in trade talks for five players, including Kyle Kuzma

The Lakers reportedly haven’t given up on improving their roster this offseason.

Other than Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, the two players they drafted last week, the Los Angeles Lakers’ roster still looks similar to the one they had this past season.

Fans are already criticizing general manager Rob Pelinka and accusing him of allegedly being asleep on the job while some other teams across the NBA have improved via free agency and trades in recent days.

However, that doesn’t mean Pelinka hasn’t been trying to make something significant happen behind the scenes. Insider Anthony Irwin wrote that the Lakers are in trade talks with multiple teams about multiple players.

Via Lakers Daily:

“Sources say the Lakers have held trade talks with the Portland Trail Blazers about Jerami Grant, the Brooklyn Nets about Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith, the Toronto Raptors about Bruce Brown and the Washington Wizards about Kyle Kuzma — as well as other teams and other trade targets. To this point, though, those are the names most closely linked to the Lakers, according to league and team sources.”

According to Irwin, Grant would cost two first-round draft picks, while Finney-Smith would require L.A. to give up one first-round pick.

Brown, who was a key factor in the Denver Nuggets winning the NBA championship a year ago, is a player the Lakers have had interest in previously. They wanted to sign him last summer, and they had some desire to trade for him a few months ago.

Kuzma is likely a player fans would welcome back in a heartbeat. While he’s a mediocre 3-point shooter and not an easy fit next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, he averaged 22.2 points and 4.2 assists while shooting 46.3% from the field this past season. All of those numbers were career highs for him.

Could Bruce Brown be an option for the Lakers this offseason?

If the Lakers strike out on their star targets this summer, could they go after Bruce Brown, a player they’ve tried to get in the past?

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.

5 realistic trade targets for the Lakers that would make LeBron James happy

These players are actually available for a price the Lakers can afford.

As we approach the 2024 NBA trade deadline, basketball fans can almost definitely count out any deal involving LeBron James.

But that doesn’t mean that James doesn’t want more talent on the roster in Los Angeles. James is applying pressure on the organization to make some moves, which is not exactly unusual behavior for the four-time NBA Finals MVP this time of year.

This is perhaps a quieter trade deadline than normal because many of the bigger names (e.g. James Harden, OG Anunoby, and Pascal Siakam) were moved earlier this season.

However, several other players are still potentially available and could make for a good fit in Los Angeles.

We looked at some options actually on the market within a price range that Los Angeles could afford. That means the Lakers could realistically make a move for some of the following players if they want to make the playoffs and potentially even avoid the play-in tournament:

Lakers may not be interested in trading for Bruce Brown

Have the Lakers crossed one of their biggest trade targets off their wish list?

The Feb. 8 trade deadline is rapidly approaching across the NBA. That means for a number of teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, the opportunity to secure an upgrade via the trade market is about to end.

The Lakers have had interest in a number of players who could move the needle at least a little. One of them has been Bruce Brown, the versatile wing who was recently traded by the Indiana Pacers to the Toronto Raptors, a team that appears to be hitting the proverbial reset button.

Brown was a key player for the Denver Nuggets when they won the world championship last season. But he left them in free agency this past summer, and L.A. was one of the teams that was very interested in signing him at the time.

According to one reporter, the team’s interest in Brown may have cooled for the moment.

Via Action Network:

“Multiple sources indicated this week that the Lakers had at least temporarily moved away from talks for Raptors guard Bruce Brown, who they had interest in at the deadline last year,” wrote Matt Moore.

While Brown isn’t the most reliable 3-point shooter, he’s an effective defender who can also pitch in on the boards and even serve as a secondary ball-handler. So far this season, he’s averaging a career-high 11.8 points a game while shooting 47.2% from the field.

NBA trade deadline 2024: The 10 most interesting players available and what it’ll cost to get them

Dejounte Murray, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan are some names to watch.

The 2024 NBA trade deadline is approaching in just a few weeks and we may see a few former All-Stars involved in transactions.

As noted by my colleague Mike Sykes, this deadline may be quieter than normal because some of the bigger names (such as Pascal Siakam, O.G. Anunoby, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Bruce Brown and Terry Rozier) have already gotten traded.

But that doesn’t mean we will see no star power or players of value get moved. With that in mind, we took a look at some of the most intriguing trade candidates in the NBA and shared their expected value based on the most trusted reporting around the league.

Here is how it is shaking out so far:

Which two players do the Lakers most want to trade for?

Many know the Lakers are trying to acquire Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, but who is the other player at the top of their wish list?

This season’s NBA trade deadline will be Feb. 8 at 3 p.m. Eastern, which means time is slowly starting to run out for teams to secure some type of upgrade for their rosters.

The Los Angeles Lakers have apparently been aggressive in scouring the market for at least one player who can help them improve their dismal 22-23 record and resurrect their championship aspirations.

Their top target is clearly Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, who can not only score and facilitate but also be a speed demon in the open court and play effective defense. It appears the Lakers and Hawks have made some progress on a potential deal, although nothing is imminent.

At the same time, according to Shams Charania, their other main target is Bruce Brown Jr., who recently was traded to the Toronto Raptors (h/t Lakers Daily).

Brown can play both the 2 and 3 and is known as a strong defender and the type of multifaceted role player whose impact can go beyond his numbers. He won an NBA championship last season with the Denver Nuggets and is averaging 11.9 points a game this season, although he has been struggling with his 3-point shooting.

Los Angeles reportedly wanted to sign him last summer with its mid-level exception, only to lose out to the Indiana Pacers.

Trade rumor rankings: Dejounte Murray, Bruce Brown and more

HoopsHype ranks the 10 players who have appeared most often in trade rumors over the previous week.

This week saw another huge name come off the board on the NBA trade market as the Toronto Raptors dealt Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Bruce Brown, three-first round picks and more. That means the player who ranked No. 1 in our trade rumor rankings article last week is now off the board.

Don’t worry, though, as we still have plenty of interesting names to talk about on the NBA trade market.

Below, check out the 10 players who have appeared most often in trade rumors over the previous week, based on the number of appearances on our Trade Rumors page.

3 backup wings that make sense for Thunder at trade deadline

3 backup wings that make sense for Thunder at trade deadline.

Sitting at 29-13 and in second place in the Western Conference standings, the Oklahoma City Thunder will approach the Feb. 8 trade deadline as buyers for the first time in several years.

The Thunder have broken open a contention window led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams round out one of the league’s best trios.

While OKC is not expected to make any blockbuster deals, expect it to possibly make minor upgrades to improve its depth heading into its first playoff appearance since 2020.

In today’s NBA, you can never have too many quality wings. Thunder general manager Sam Presti can strengthen the backup wing spot by targeting low-risk veteran players on bad teams.

The Thunder have plenty of draft capital and young prospects to facilitate any type of deal. Scouring through the league, let’s look at three bench wing options OKC could add.

Lakers have six new trade targets, including Bruce Brown

The rumor mill is heating up when it comes to the Lakers and what they may look to do on the trade market.

With less than three weeks to go before the NBA’s trade deadline, the rumor mill is starting to heat up, especially for the Los Angeles Lakers.

There has been plenty of talk that they have been looking to acquire Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray. Reportedly, the two teams have talked about a potential deal, but the sticking point has been Atlanta’s desire to acquire Austin Reaves and the Lakers’ reluctance to give him up.

Los Angeles has also been rumored to have some interest in Tyus Jones and Collin Sexton, and indeed, it does want a speedy ball-handling guard who can score. But now, according to Jovan Buha, it has six additional targets (h/t Lakers Daily).

Via The Athletic:

“If the Toronto Raptors decide to move on from Bruce Brown Jr., the Lakers will have interest in acquiring him, according to team sources,” Jovan Buha wrote. “The Lakers coveted Brown last summer and believed they were the favorites to sign him using the team’s nontaxpayer midlevel exception before Indiana swooped in with a cap-space offer. (Los Angeles eventually signed (Gabe) Vincent with that exception.) Much like he was last summer, Brown will become one of the most coveted players on the trade market if he’s available. Of note: Because Brown was already traded from Indiana to Toronto in the (Pascal) Siakam deal, he cannot be combined with another player in a potential trade.

“Other names that have come up in talks with team and league personnel over the past two weeks include Portland’s Jerami Grant, Charlotte’s Terry Rozier, Toronto’s Gary Trent Jr. and Brooklyn’s Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale. Each player fills at least one of the Lakers’ three needs.”

While a speedy ball-handling guard appears to be the Lakers’ biggest priority on the trade market, a 3-and-D wing is another. Although Brown isn’t a great 3-point shooter, his defense and ability to score make him an attractive trade piece.

Grant would be an interesting get for the Lakers. He’s averaging 21.4 points a game and shooting 41.2% from 3-point range this season, but he isn’t a particularly good rebounder, and he does have a somewhat large contract that runs for at least three more seasons.