Getty Bruce Brown
The Milwaukee Bucks want help, but they are low on options. They don’t have any first-round picks to offer, but they have other rotation players to offer if they want an upgrade. One possible upgrade is Toronto Raptors wing Bruce Brown. Brew Hoops’ Alex Khov proposed a four-way trade that would send Brown to the Bucks.
Khov outlined a four-way trade between the Bucks, Raptors, Los Angeles Lakers, and New York Knicks in a January 29 story.
Bucks get: Brown, Jaxson Hayes
Lakers get: Pat Connaughton, Quentin Grimes, Ryan Arcidiacono
Knicks get: D’Angelo Russell, Bobby Portis
Raptors get: Evan Fournier, MarJon Beauchamp, 2024 Knicks First-Round Pick
Khov explained how Brown would help the Bucks’ backcourt
“Given his versatility, inserting Brown into the starting backcourt next to Damian Lillard would allow Malik Beasley more scoring opportunities with the second unit and perhaps make it more potent,” Khov explained.
More specifically, Khov outlined how Brown could help the Bucks defensively.
“In fact, deploying Brown as a defense-first menace across could help alleviate other issues the Bucks have been facing,” Khov wrote. “Having Brown on the court could instill more confidence in one-on-one defense outside of the perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidates on the roster and allow Antetokounmpo to stay nearer to the weak side glass where he can more effectively rebound and shot-block rather than potentially being drawn out to the perimeter.”
Brown helped the Denver Nuggets win the title in 2023 and has no place on the rebuilding Raptors. Getting him at the cost of Portis and Connaughton would be tough, but the Bucks need help defensively. More specifically, they need help in that department without compromising their offense.
Bruce Brown’s Reported Price Might Be Too High
Trading for Bruce Brown might prove to be tricky for the Bucks. NBA Insider Marc Stein reported what it would take to pry Brown from the Raptors.
“The Raptors’ asking price for teams interested in acquiring Bruce Brown has been described as a future first-round pick and a quality player … at a minimum,” Stein wrote in a January 21 story.
If that’s true, he may be too pricey for the Bucks. However, that would only be if they discuss a swap between them and the Raptors. Stein added that the Raptors know the leverage they have in trade negotiations for Brown’s services.
“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.”
Matisse Thybulle & PJ Tucker Called Bucks Targets
The Bucks are keeping all options open. Bruce Brown might not be who they end up with, but they have their eyes on other wings. Yahoo Sports! Jake Fischer reported that the Bucks may use Connaughton and Cam Payne to acquire one of two specific wings.
“The combined $12.5 million salary between Connaughton and Payne would put Milwaukee in position to land several targets, such as Portland wing Matisse Thybulle and Clippers forward P.J. Tucker,” Fischer reported in a January 24 story.
The Bucks clearly want help. What remains to be seen is who they can get and how they get it.