NBA rumors: Dejounte Murray sleeper, Mavs trade bait, Bruce Brown mystery team
- 'Mystery team' offers first-round pick for Bruce Brown
- Mavs floating Tim Hardaway Jr., Grant Williams in trade talks
- Pelicans emerge as sleeper candidate for Dejounte Murray
NBA rumors: Raptors offered first-round pick for Bruce Brown
The Toronto Raptors have been the busiest NBA team on the trade front, landing sizable return packages for both OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam. Masai Ujiri isn't done wheeling and dealing, though, and his next trade chip could be Bruce Brown. Toronto acquired Brown as part of the Siakam trade, but he has documented interest all across the league. The New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers are the most popular reported suitors.
According to SportsNet's Michael Grange, Toronto is asking for and has been offered a first-round pick in exchange for Brown. The Knicks are a "possible, or even likely" destination for Brown, but there's a potential snag. New York wants to trade one of their 2024 first-round picks; Toronto already owns four of the top-31 picks in the upcoming draft.
Evan Fournier's salary is a clean match and could facilitate a deal, but expect more teams to get involved for Brown. He's the perfect five-tool role player for the modern game, and he was key to the Denver Nuggets' 2023 championship run. That recent high-level success, combined with a desirable skill set, makes him a hot commodity. His $23 million contract for next season is also non-guaranteed, so there's minimal financial downside.
Brown is averaging 11.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists on .469/.331/.837 splits in 29.2 minutes for the season. He has played nine games with Toronto, with a noticeable decrease in scoring (9.4 PPG) and playing time (27.1 MPG).
Chris Boucher and Jakob Poeltl are also mentioned as potential trade candidates. The Raptors are fully open for business.