The Toronto Raptors are finally embracing a rebuild as they dealt away Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for three first-round picks and Bruce Brown.
The Raptors were one of the teams that needed to shake up their roster and after a lackluster 2023-24 season, they’re finally pivoting toward the future. However, Toronto might not be done dealing as they’ve got other players on their roster that would fetch them more draft capital and assets.
Brown is having another solid season, but is widely viewed as an attractive player for playoff hopeful teams because of his versatility on both ends of the floor. Despite being undersized, Brown is a capable defender who can also be a secondary playmaker.
The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most active teams in the trade market and make sense as a landing spot for Brown. However, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, the Lakers’ interest is waning due to the Raptors’ demands:
“It’s been reported that the Lakers have interest in Raptors wing Bruce Brown, whom they pursued in free agency last summer. My understanding recently is that interest in Brown is muted due to high demands from Toronto.”
Normally teams’ asking price for players is much higher before the deadline and the Raptors are reportedly seeking at least one first-round pick and more for Brown. That’s an unrealistic ask for someone as useful as Brown, though Toronto has no reason to lower their asking price because there are more buyers than sellers at this point of the year.
The Lakers have been doing their due diligence around the league looking for upgrades and might need to consider exploring other avenues besides Brown. The team could use more dribble penetration and shot creation in the backcourt as well as a solid backup big behind Anthony Davis.
Expect Los Angeles to be linked to more players between now and the trade deadline. Brown would be a great get for the Lakers, but he isn’t the only player who can help them win now.
Bruce Brown almost signed with the Lakers in free agency and has remained a trade target since
L.A.’s interest in Brown dates back to free agency as they were confident they would land him before he signed with Indiana. However, they haven’t given up their pursuit of the swingman as he’s reportedly been one of their trade targets since.
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