The Los Angeles Lakers’ goal since last June’s free agency is to sign Bruce Brown, but doing so will come at a high cost.
The Raptors have set a high price for the 6-foot-4 Brown in an attempt to increase the amount of draft capital they received in the Pascal Siakam trade, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
Teams interested in acquiring Bruce Brown have been told that the Raptors are seeking for at least a quality player and a future first-round selection.
Toronto knows that a variety of contending teams are interested in Brown, noting his contributions to Denver’s title run last season, making the Raptors hopeful they can spark some robust bidding for a player with both championship pedigree and a team-friendly contract,” Stein wrote in his January 21 substack newsletter.
Brown will earn $22 million this year and has a $23 million team option next season, which will become a valuable trade chip.
The Lakers have only one first-round pick (2029 or 2030) to use in any in-season trade. But they can have as many as 3 first-round picks after the NBA Draft in June if the pick they owe to the New Orleans Pelicans in the Anthony Davis trade conveys.
The Lakers will have strong competition in a bidding war for Brown with the draft asset-rich New York Knicks. On top of their 8 tradable first-round picks, the Knicks also is drawing strong interest from Brown, who openly suggested he’s a perfect Tom Thibodeau player.
