The Raptors appear to be sellers during this trade market, which will include potentially trading Lakers target Bruce Brown.
The Lakers have already been wheeling and dealing during this trade window, sending D’Angelo Russell to Brooklyn and landing Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton.
The move lands the Lakers a 3-and-D player in DFS they have long coveted, giving them some much-needed depth at the perimeter.
However, Los Angeles is “not satisfied” with their current roster. The Lakers are currently just above the play-in spot in the Western Conference standings.
That’s far from what’s perceived to be title contention, but with some quality role players still on the roster and two first-round picks they can deal, a move can still be made before the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline.
Could the player the Lakers acquire be Bruce Brown?
In Jake Fisher’s most recent piece for The Stein Line, he discussed the Raptors’ strong desire to move the wing.
“The Raptors are very motivated to move Brown and his $23 million salary, sources said, in hopes of growing the return from trading Pascal Siakam to Indiana on Jan. 17, 2024. Brown arrived in Toronto as the largest salary component from that deal, alongside three future first-round picks, to land Siakam with the Pacers.”
The Lakers have been connected to Brown for years. Last season, he was viewed as a top target for Los Angeles even after he took his talents to Toronto.
With the Raptors reportedly motivated to move him, perhaps the Lakers can finally land Brown. This could be similar to how they’ve been associated with DFS for quite some time before finally trading for him this season.
Brown is a respectable player, averaging 7.2 points and 3.4 rebounds and would give L.A. some added depth and options at the wing. This season he’s only played in nine games due to his recovery from knee surgery. However, he’s played in the last four games and appears to be finding his form, scoring 17 points versus the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 17.
This wouldn’t be a blockbuster move by any means, but it can be the kind of deal that makes a marginal improvement for this team and pushes them closer to being in a top-four spot in the conference.
If the goal is to get better, Brown might be the player that gets that done, depending on who you must give up to acquire him.
However, Brown makes $23 million a year, so making the math work while upgrading the Lakers is easier said than done.
From a salary standpoint, the most likely contracts the Lakers would use to match Brown’s would be Rui Hachimura ($17 million), Gabe Vincent ($11 million) or Jarred Vanderbilt ($10.7 million). With D’Lo being traded, it’s a bit more difficult to make the money work for the Lakers in a deal.
It could lead to some tough decisions for the Lakers in the coming weeks, but the Lakers look like a team where tough decisions may need to be made. Whether the solution includes Brown will be interesting to watch.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.