The Feb. 8 trade deadline is fast approaching and Bruce Brown is at the top of the list for trade targets.
Brown was acquired in the blockbuster trade for Pascal Siakam.
Since coming to the Toronto Raptors, it is uncertain if Brown will be a part of their long-term plans. Toronto is now embracing a rebuild and a 27-year-old does not entirely fit that agenda.
As the deadline approaches, a bunch of playoff teams are expected to express interest in Brown. One of the teams that has been connected to the guard/forward is the Los Angeles Lakers.
According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Brown is among the top trade targets for the Lakers ahead of Feb. 8:
“Murray and Brown are the Lakers’ top two trade targets at this moment, according to team and league sources.”
For a team featuring LeBron James and Anthony Davis, L.A. is actively searching for an extra role player or two that can contribute during the postseason. However, a lack of draft assets may hinder their pursuit of Brown:
“They (Lakers) don’t have enough draft capital, in particular, to land both unless Atlanta or Toronto is especially high on Max Christie or Jalen Hood-Schifino and views one of those players as similar to acquiring a draft pick.”
The rumored asking price for Brown is a first-round pick and quality player. The Lakers could offer their 2029 first-round pick, which could be a valuable pick in the post-LeBron era.
However, the second part of the equation comes down to how Toronto views players like Christie or Hood-Schifino. Christie has shown some 3-and-D potential in his first season and a half in the NBA, while Hood-Schifino needs time to develop.
Talks are fluid and perhaps Masai Ujiri values one of L.A.’s young players in a potential deal.
Lakers actively trying to work a deal for Bruce Brown
A couple of weeks ago, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on NBA Today that the Lakers are indeed interested in Brown and are trying to work out a deal with Toronto.
L.A. had interest in signing Brown this past summer before the Indiana Pacers offered him a payday.
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