Getty Head coach Darvin Ham of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers need to prepare for a bidding war if they want to pursue one of their rumored trade targets: Toronto Raptors guard Bruce Brown.
“If the Toronto Raptors decide to move on from Bruce Brown Jr., the Lakers will have interest in acquiring him, according to team sources,” wrote The Athletic’s Jovan Buha on January 19. “The Lakers coveted Brown last summer and believed they were the favorites to sign him using the team’s nontaxpayer midlevel exception before Indiana swooped in with a cap-space offer.
“Much like he was last summer, Brown will become one of the most coveted players on the trade market if he’s available. Of note: Because Brown was already traded from Indiana to Toronto in the [Pascal] Siakam deal, he cannot be combined with another player in a potential trade.”
This hypothetical trade scenario would see the Lakers secure their long-sought-after target.
Lakers get:
– Bruce Brown
Raptors get:
– Jalen Hood-Schifino
– Gabe Vincent
– 2029 first-round pick (top-10 protected)
“From the time the Lakers lost to Denver, got eliminated in the Conference Finals last year, there’s been one player they’ve really been focused on trying to acquire: Bruce Brown Jr.,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on “NBA Countdown” on January 19.
”In free agency, if Indiana had not stepped up with a 2-year, $45 million deal, there’s a very good chance Bruce Brown would have gone to the Lakers for their mid-level exception.”
Brown, 27, is averaging 12.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.0 steals this season.
He is shooting just 32.1% from deep this season.
Brown is on his fifth team in six NBA seasons, his second time being traded, and he could be on the move again before the February 9 trade deadline. Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri all but declared that Toronto is open for business with several veterans available for trade.
The cost to acquire Brown could be high. But the Lakers will likely have to surrender a similar package for any significant upgrade in a trade, though.
Lakers Have ‘2 Attractive Assets’
“The Lakers have two attractive assets to other teams: [Austin] Reaves and one of their movable first-round picks,” Buha wrote. “[Max] Christie is another popular request, but his impending restricted free-agency status makes him a trickier acquisition for some teams.
“D’Angelo Russell, [Rui] Hachimura and Vincent are generally viewed as neutral-to-negative assets, depending on the team.”
BACK➡️BACK buckets for Bruce
Buha notes the Lakers have multiple first-round swap options and second-round picks.
He adds that some front offices could view Hood-Schifino as a first-round pick in his own right. But the Lakers don’t want to trade Reaves or Hachimura, and Russell has been a part of their recent turnaround since returning to the starting lineup.
Lakers Interested in Raptors’ Gary Trent
If Brown’s price tag proves too costly, the Lakers could try to target his teammate Gary Trent Jr., who is in the final year of his three-year, $51.8 million contract. He would cost the Lakers $3.5 million less than Brown, though the latter’s $23 million club option could be appealing.
This hypothetical trade scenario flips Russell for Trent, though it could be viewed as a largely lateral move.
Lakers get:
– Gary Trent Jr.
Raptors get:
– Gabe Vincent
– Jalen Hood-Schifino
– 2024 second-round pick (via LAC)
– 2025 second-round pick
This could just be a starting point in the negotiations. Trent isn’t the versatile defender that Brown is. But he is a far superior shooter, knocking down 41.2% from deep this season and 38.7% for his career.
How far the Lakers are willing to go is unclear. But Buha does believe they will make a trade.