Lakers News: LA’s Bid To Trade For Bruce Brown Gets More Complicated

Will the reigning champ be moved for a second time this season?

Your Los Angeles Lakers have been linked to practically all of the big NBA players rumored to be on the move this season, aside from now-Indiana Pacers power forward Pascal Siakam.

The big returning present-day piece Siakam's old team absorbed in that particular deal, however, has definitely been rumored to be in LA team president Rob Pelinka's crosshairs. That'd be now-Toronto Raptors combo guard Bruce Brown, who's now two teams removed from the 2022-23 Denver Nuggets, with whom the veritable Swiss army knife won his first league title.

As tomorrow's 12 p.m. PT NBA trade deadline fast approaches, another team has emerged in the hunt for the 6'4" role player.

Surprisingly, another Western Conference play-in team, the 26-26 Utah Jazz, seems to be interested in adding a very win-now piece in Brown. Per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Danny Ainge and co. appear to be tendering a package of floor-spacing veteran big man Kelly Olynyk and second-year former lottery pick swingman Ochai Agbaji in exchange for Brown's $22 million salary (Toronto has a $23 million team option on Brown for 2024-25). 

Fischer notes that the Jazz are angling to receive a first round pick back in a deal, which for a Toronto team generally looking to sell seems like an odd request, although in this theoretical transaction Agbaji would be the young asset (a recent top draft pick still on a rookie scale contract) the Raptors are receiving, rather than a pick. 

Utah is currently the tenth seed in the West, just a spot behind the 27-25 Lakers, thanks to the strong play of All-Star-caliber forward Lauri Markkanen and talented guards Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson, plus intriguing young pieces like Agbaji, Walker Kessler and, yes, Kris Dunn somehow. Making a move for Brown would indicate that the team is hoping to fortify its perimeter defense in the present, and perhaps make a surprise playoff push.