Insider Highlights What the Knicks Would Have to Trade for Bruce Brown

The New York Knicks have shown interest in Bruce Brown leading into the NBA trade deadline on February 8.

With that being less than a week away, the Knicks have tough decisions to make. When it comes to who they want to move, there are packages that could help them land Brown. However certain ones would put them above the luxury tax, which the Knicks likely won’t want to do.

Ian Begley of SNY reported the latest on the Brown front.

“Before Randle got hurt, there was a thought among some Knick people that the club should stand pat at the deadline. Prior to that, the Knicks had an interest in Brown, Burks and probably several other players. I don’t know if they are still interested. But I assume they are. They have a gauge of the market and what they’d want to give up for players like Brown, Burks or Clarkson.”

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A Knicks – Bruce Brown Trade Package

Multiple trades can land the New York Knicks the former NBA champion. However, Brown’s $22 million salary makes things tricky. New York would need to send out $14.5 million to land him, but there is a twist. Begley had the following to say on the financial side of things.

“Brown has a $22 million salary. So the Knicks only need to send out $14.5 million to match. However, sending out the minimum would put them over the tax. So they’d likely want to send out more money to avoid the tax.

“Fournier for Brown works straight up. Toronto would undoubtedly seek draft compensation. The Knicks have eight first-round picks over the next four years.”

Staying under the tax is a smart idea when trading for a player of Brown’s caliber. There is not much of a reason to take on additional fees and penalties because of a 3&D player.

If this was a superstar that the Knicks were looking for, it is understandable. But going over the tax makes the Knicks owners have to spend more and pay fees for being over that tax line.

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What Bruce Brown Would Bring to the Knicks

For a team that is trying to do what the Knicks are looking to accomplish, adding another veteran player in the form of Brown could help them in the long run.

There is some redundancy in the lineup if they added him in terms of wing defenders, but head coach Tom Thibodeau has the Knicks as the best defensive team in basketball in recent weeks and he should be able to figure that out.

In the last 15 games, the Knicks have the second-best defensive rating in the NBA at 106.1.

Brown does bring an improved offensive game to the Knicks. He is shooting the three-point shot at an above-average rate with the Toronto Raptors and did so with the Denver Nuggets in 2022-23. In his 7 games in Toronto, he is shooting 37.5% from three-point range.

Bruce Brown is not exactly the star player that many New York Knicks fans have been searching for, although that could be a good thing for this current team. It is clear that the Knicks have chemistry and bringing in a role player to plug in would be easier than adding a star who wants the ball.

Any star who wants the ball changes the offense and that is not what this team needs at this point in the season.

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