NBA Analyst Names Raptors Guard Among League's Most Likely Trade Candidates

Toronto Raptors guard Bruce Brown is believed to be among the league's most likely trade candidates ahead of the February trade deadline

Mar 13, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Bruce Brown (11) dribbles in the second half against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Here we go again.

From the moment the Toronto Raptors acquired Bruce Brown midway through last season, the 28-year-old guard has had his name swirling in trade talks. He was dangled on the open market ahead of the trade deadline last year as Toronto searched for — and never found — a first-round pick. There's no doubt his name came up in trade talks over the summer as the Raptors contemplated what to do with Brown and his $23 million team option for this season.

Now it's happening again.

Brown is expected to miss the start of the regular as he recovers from arthroscopic knee surgery, but he's already been pegged as one of the most likely players to be traded this season by ESPN's Chris Herring.

"Brown is perhaps the likeliest player to switch teams before the trade deadline. The 28-year-old, who won a title as a key reserve with the Denver Nuggets, plays with a young, rebuilding Toronto team that probably picked up his $23 million team option with the intent of dealing him later," Herring wrote.

Toronto will certainly endeavour to find a new home for Brown as the team embarks on the first year of its rebuild. At this point, it's hard to see Brown netting a first-round pick at the trade deadline, but the Raptors should be able to pry loose a few second round picks or an intriguing young player in trade talks.

Brown has proven to be a valuable and versatile bench player on playoff teams in the past. If he can recover from his knee injury and bounce back to the kind of player he was before he joined the Raptors last season, there should be no shortage of teams looking to acquire the veteran guard sometime around February.