Inside The Nuggets

NBA Trade Idea Sends Denver Nuggets Champion to Los Angeles Lakers

Could the Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Lakers make this trade?

Joey Linn

Jun 15, 2023; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) and Denver Nuggets forward Bruce Brown (11) during the championship parade after the Denver Nuggets won the 2023 NBA Finals. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 15, 2023; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) and Denver Nuggets forward Bruce Brown (11) during the championship parade after the Denver Nuggets won the 2023 NBA Finals. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
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Many top NBA trade targets have already been moved, but there are still some impactful players left on the market. Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen has received a lot of attention recently, as has the potentially un-tradable contract of Zach LaVine, but there are other available players with less name recognition that could make a strong impact.

One player that is still expected to be moved either this summer or at some point next season is Toronto Raptors guard Bruce Brown. A key piece to the 2023 Denver Nuggets team that won an NBA championship, Brown left in free agency that summer to the Indiana Pacers, but was eventually dealt to Toronto. The Raptors picked up Brown’s $23 million team option, and will likely use that in a trade.

In a recent article, Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley proposed a hypothetical trade idea that sends Brown to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for D’Angelo Russell, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and a 2025 second round pick. As previously mentioned, this is a hypothetical proposal, but one that could make sense for both sides. 

For the Lakers, they land a versatile guard with championship experience, while Toronto gets the young Hood-Schifino and a future pick. What the Raptors would do with Russell would be interesting, but they could potentially flip him in an additional trade.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn52@gmail.com Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis and reporting Experience: Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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