Report: Nuggets could be interested in Bruce Brown if he hits buyout market

The Denver Nuggets are a team that could be interested in Toronto Raptors guard Bruce Brown if he is bought out this season.

Brown is in the final season of a two-year, $45 million deal that he originally signed with the Indiana Pacers before he was moved in the Pascal Siakam trade last season. The Raptors are “very motivated” to move Brown, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer, but there’s a chance he could become a buyout candidate if a deal doesn’t happen.

“If no trade materializes involving Brown, he would surely be in great demand as a buyout candidate,” Fischer wrote.

“The [Los Angeles] Lakers were a leading destination for Brown two summers ago, sources said, before Brown secured his stunning two-year, $45 million balloon contract from the Pacers.

“Another team, fittingly, to keep in mind for Brown on the buyout market — if it gets that far — would be Denver. The Nuggets, sources say, would love a reunion with the veteran swingman affectionately known as Brucey B.”

The Lakers could also make a deal for Brown if they want him on the roster.

This season, Brown has appeared in just nine games for Toronto. He’s averaging 7.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game while shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 31.3 percent from beyond the arc.

A crucial part of Denver’s team that won that title in the 2022-23 season, Brown could be a key role player for any contending team if he hits the buyout market. The Lakers certainly learned how much of an impact Brown can have when he helped the Nuggets sweep Los Angeles in the Western Conference Finals during the 2022-23 season.

The Lakers currently hold the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference after Sunday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. While the Lakers are in the mix for a playoff spot, they are just 1.5 games up on the No. 11-seeded Golden State Warriors, so they are far from secure in the standings.

If the Lakers want to make a push for a title with LeBron James aging, trading for a solid player like Brown is one way to give the team some extra juice for a playoff push.