There appears to be a solid market for Toronto Raptors wing Bruce Brown, with multiple teams being linked to the 27-year-old ahead of the NBA trade deadline this season.
Brown started the 2023-24 campaign with the Indiana Pacers before being moved to the Raptors earlier this month in a deal that sent Pascal Siakam the other way.
The Dallas Mavericks are among the teams that reportedly could be in the mix for Brown.
“The Miami Heat were one of the teams I heard in the mix for him,” NBA insider Michael Scotto said of Brown. “… I don’t know how much that changes now following the Terry Rozier trade ’cause…they lost one of the assets they woulda had to dangle for him in that first-round pick down the line. So, the other teams that I’ve heard, certainly the New York Knicks with Tom Thibodeau. … And then you’ve got obviously the Los Angeles Lakers. … They obviously wanted Bruce heavily in free agency with the money that they had available at the time. And then another team that I’ve heard come up, the Dallas Mavericks. They also wanted to get Bruce for the mid-level.”
Brown won a title in the 2022-23 season while playing an important role for the Denver Nuggets. His championship pedigree and playoff experience are likely appealing factors to contending teams on the trade market.
Across 36 total games this season, he’s averaging 11.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per contest while shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from beyond the arc.
At 24-19, the Mavericks have been competitive this season in the Western Conference, but they could use some help if they want to take their title hopes to the next level. Dallas currently holds the No. 8 spot in the West, meaning the team is in play-in territory as things stand now.
After this season, Brown’s contract has a club option for the 2024-25 campaign worth $23 million. That type of flexibility may also be appealing for interested teams. Given his age, the former second-round pick likely still has plenty of gas left in the tank.
Brown has already played for five teams in his NBA career, a high number given the fact that he’s only in his sixth season. It sounds like he could end up with his sixth squad in the coming weeks if the dominoes fall that way.
The NBA trade deadline is inching closer, as teams have until Feb. 8 to make deals this season.
