Kofi Inkoom
Rumors about the Toronto Raptors trading Bruce Brown this offseason or early next season have been around for a while. The Raptors plan to trade him after picking up Brown’s $23 million option for next season.
Bleacher Reports’ Zach Buckley has proposed a trade between the Toronto Raptors and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Buckley’s proposed trade involves the Raptors sending Bruce Brown to the Lakers in exchange for D’Angelo Russell, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and a 2025 second-round pick (via LAC).
“When ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Raptors were picking up Brown’s $23 million team option, the scribe immediately noted Brown ‘will be a valuable trade asset on an expiring contract.’ In other words, Brown didn’t need to spend a ton of time learning Toronto’s real estate market,” Buckley wrote.
“The Raptors need someone to see Brown as their dot-connecting missing piece, and maybe the Lakers would seek out this kind of shake-up. They’ve never seemed fully comfortable with Russell, they hardly played Hood-Schifino as a rookie and they can’t be too closely committed to that second-rounder.
“Toronto, though, might sense Hood-Schifino has a chance to thrive in a more patient, development-focused environment than L.A. It also wouldn’t scoff at picking up another second-rounder, even if it probably won’t be a great one. As for Russell, he’d help perk up the scoring and shooting, but really, he’d probably just slide into Brown’s spot as a serviceable veteran waiting for a win-now shopper to make its move for him.”
Brown played a crucial role off the bench for the Denver Nuggets during their 2022/23 championship season and drew significant interest as a free agent last summer, eventually signing a two-year, $45 million contract with the Pacers. Indiana traded him to Toronto in January as part of a package for Pascal Siakam.
In 67 total appearances (44 starts) for the Pacers and Raptors, Brown averaged 10.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 27.9 minutes per game. The 6’4″ wing is considered a solid, versatile perimeter defender who fits well next to more ball-dominant players on offense.
Russell is coming off one of the best seasons of his NBA career, averaging 18.0 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.1 rebounds in 32.7 minutes per game across 76 regular season outings (69 starts). However, for a second straight spring, he struggled against Denver in the postseason.
His 2024 playoff averages dipped to 14.2 PPG, 4.2 APG, and 2.8 RPG. A year earlier, he shot just 32.3% (13.3% on threes) in the Western Conference finals against the Nuggets and was removed from the starting lineup.
Russell’s player option decision was considered one that could go either way, since opting out would’ve given him more control over his future.
Opting in will lock in his ’24/25 salary, but it doesn’t necessarily ensure he’ll remain in Los Angeles, as he looks like a prime trade candidate for a Lakers team seeking roster upgrades.