Lakers trade target Bruce Brown reportedly expected to be dealt by Raptors during offseason
With the Raptors looking set to trade Bruce Brown in the offseason, could the Lakers finally land the wing they’ve long-coveted?
Basically from the moment he played a big role in the Nuggets sweeping them in the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers have been in hot pursuit of Bruce Brown.
Starting in free agency when they very nearly landed him before a big-money offer from the Pacers, the Lakers have chased Brown around from stop to stop. They reportedly discussed a trade with the Pacers for Brown, then did the same when he was traded to the Raptors as part of the Pascal Siakam deal.
Toronto, though, held onto Brown through the deadline because there are few things the Raptors love more than dealing a player months or even years after they’re at their highest value on the trade market.
To that point, it seems now the Raptors are now interested in trading Brown this offseason. According to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star, the franchise is set to deal Brown after picking up his team option for next season.
“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.”
It sure is a good thing the Raptors held onto Brown after the deadline so that they could win seven games and worsen their spot in the lottery standings, eventually leading to them losing their top-six protected pick. Great work, guys!
As for Brown, the Lakers are almost certainly going to be interested in him yet again. The problem is going to be a similar one to what they had during the season in matching contracts. Because of Brown’s $23 million contract for next season and the Lakers’ lack of cap space, it’s going to likely have to be a one-for-one trade for the Lakers.
They do have contracts that could match Brown’s in a trade. Either D’Angelo Russell, depending on his decision with his player option, and Rui Hachimura would, perhaps, make the most sense. In both instances, the team would need to add a filler contract as well, but it’s pretty easily achievable.
While it wouldn’t be the swing for a big name and third star that they’ve been rumored to make, it would be a deal that would land them someone they’ve had an eye on for years. It’s hard to imagine the team not being interested in a deal if the price is right.
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