How much longer will Bruce Brown Jr. be in Toronto?
As the trade deadline approaches, the rumors surrounding Brown are picking up. NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the Raptors know a number of contending teams are interested in the veteran guard, creating hope that they can spark "some robust bidding" for him. One of those contending teams appears to be the Lakers.
According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Brown is one of two players Los Angeles continues to monitor, the other being Hawks guard Dejounte Murray.
Is there a deal to be done between the Raptors and Lakers? Here's one potential trade.
MORE: This sequence shows why Bruce Brown Jr. is a perfect fit on the Raptors
Why Raptors say yes and no: Bruce Brown Jr. trade to Lakers for D'Angelo Russell, first-round pick package
The trade
Bruce Brown for D'Angelo Russell, Taurean Prince and a 2029 first-round pick.
Why this trade
The Raptors can trade Brown before the deadline, but he can't be aggregated with any other player on the team.
The cleanest and easiest way for the Lakers to match Brown's $22.0 million salary is by building a package around Russell and Prince. Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt would be another option to pair with Russell, but he can't be traded until the 2024 offseason.
According to Stein, the Raptors are looking for a future first-round pick and a quality role player in return for Brown.
Why the Raptors say yes
The 2029 first-round pick is the draw here.
It's hard to know what any team will look like in five years, but at that point, LeBron James will be in his mid-40s and Anthony Davis will be in his mid-30s. The Lakers don't control a number of their draft picks between now and then, so their best hope of building a competitive roster might not be through the draft, but through free agency.
Los Angeles will always be a free-agent destination, but if the front office can't sign the right players at the right time, the team's pick in the 2029 NBA Draft could be incredibly valuable.
Even if the Raptors don't have a need for a young prospect by then, they could trade it.
Why the Raptors say no
Russell, 27, is a one-time All-Star in the prime of his career — he's also been on fire lately — but the retooling Raptors don't need a point guard anymore after acquiring Immanuel Quickley. Prince, 29, is the type of 3-and-D wing who fits on just about any team, but he's not on the same timeline as Scottie Barnes and he's set to be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.
With neither Russell nor Prince being long-term fits for the Raptors, this doesn't check the box of getting a quality role player back for Brown.
If the Raptors are going to make a trade with the Lakers, perhaps they target Rui Hachimura, 25, and Gabe Vincent, 27, instead. Vincent has struggled to stay on the court this season, but when healthy, he's proven to be a pesky defender and capable shooter. Hachimura is a big forward who can space the floor and provide scoring off the bench.
MORE: How the Raptors are building a future contender around Scottie Barnes
Would the Lakers even sign off on this?
Brown would fit in nicely alongside James and Davis, but would he make enough of a difference to a Lakers team struggling to get into the playoff picture to warrant trading two rotational players and a first-round pick?
In addition to Brown, the Lakers have been linked to Murray ahead of this season's trade deadline. According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, the team has also discussed the possibility of waiting until the offseason, when they can trade three future first-round picks as opposed to just one, to pursue a "bona fide star" such as Donovan Mitchell or Trae Young.
As good of a player as Brown is, he might not be the key to Los Angeles turning its season around.
