Insiders Share Latest On Raptors Bruce Brown Trade Talks

The Toronto Raptors are reportedly looking for a first-round pick and a quality player in trade talks for Bruce Brown

Trade calls for Bruce Brown Jr. are said to be pouring in ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline next month.

Multiple contenders are reportedly interested in trying to acquire the 6-foot-4 Toronto Raptors wing, Marc Stein reported on his podcast #ThisLeague Uncut. Toronto has conveyed the organization would like at least a first-round pick and a “quality player” for Brown, Stein said.

The Raptors acquired Brown in the deal with the Indiana Pacers for Pascal Siakam earlier this month. Toronto has now given itself some wiggle room to scour the trade market for another deal involving Brown in the coming two weeks.

“The Raptors are receiving an abnormal amount of calls regarding (Brown),” Chris Haynes said on the podcast.

Due to NBA trade restrictions, Brown cannot be aggregated with other players in a single deal this season. Toronto therefore cannot trade Brown and another player to a team in a deal ahead of the trade deadline.

The Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks have been mentioned as potential landing spots for Brown. The Denver Nuggets have also been among the teams interested in Brown, Haynes said, though the Nuggets don’t have the first-round pick capital to entice Toronto into a deal.

“I don’t think they’ll have a problem at all getting a first and a player back in return,” Haynes said.

Brown does give Toronto some flexibility as he’s set to earn $22 million this year with a team option worth $23 million next year. The Raptors could keep him for this summer and trade him then should a deal not materialize in the coming weeks.