NBA insiders believe the Toronto Raptors want to trade Bruce Brown near the 2024 Draft

After finishing 25-57 in 2023-24, the Toronto Raptors need to evaluate their roster this offseason. Toronto is undoubtedly heading into a rebuilding phase after the trades they made during the regular season. They traded two of their best forwards, O.G. Anunoby and Pascal Siakam. There are not many players left from the 2019 Raptors championship roster anymore. 

According to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star, the Raptors are expected to pick up the $23 million team option for Bruce Brown. However, the Raptors do have plans to try and trade Brown ahead of or during the 2024 NBA Draft. Smith reports that the Raptors do not want to wait until the 2025 deadline to trade Brown. They want to get that taken care of this offseason. There's a real chance that Brown will be playing for his fourth team in the last three seasons.

What team would benefit the most from the production of Bruce Brown?

Raptors Insider: Signs point to a Bruce Brown trade near NBA draft time https://t.co/akrWJZxf6A

— Toronto Star Sports (@StarSports) May 17, 2024

The 2022-23 season was Bruce Brown's only season with the Denver Nuggets. He played in 80 of their 82 regular season games and made 30 starts. Brown was a versatile player for head coach Michael Malone. Despite his success with Denver, Brown parted ways with the Nuggets after one season and signed a two-year. $45 million deal with Pacers. Indiana didn't have Brown as one of their top priorities. He played in 33 games for the Pacers before they traded him to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for O.G. Anunoby and a few more players.

Brown would play in 34 games for the Raptors in 2023-24 and made 11 starts. He averaged (9.6) points, (3.8) rebounds, and (2.7) assists per game. Over his career, Brown has proved to be a versatile player but he doesn't fit with the future of the Toronto Raptors. That's why Doug Smith believes the team is going to trade Brown ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft. After trades, the Raptors now have a young core of Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, and RJ Barrett. Bruce Brown is not part of those plans for Toronto. Expect to see him traded this offseason. The Raptors are going to make him an east trade piece by picking up his option and letting teams pick up an expiring contract.

The Toronto Raptors are expected to trade Bruce Brown by next month, per @SmithRaps

(Via https://t.co/WfChxdgziE) pic.twitter.com/L1GG3LTqR1

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 17, 2024

Throughout his career, we've seen Bruce Brown be most effective coming off the bench and providing a spark of energy. Additionally, the 27-year-old had played in 40 career postseason games, 20 with the Nuggets, 16 with the Nets, and four for the Pistons. There's no telling where Brown is going to be traded. His best situation would be landing on a team with an established winning culture that wants to add a veteran presence to their lineup. Brown does a little bit of everything and that's the type of experience you need to win games. We'll have to wait and see what the future holds for Bruce Brown.