Less than eight months ago, a player helped terminate the Los Angeles Lakers’ season, and it appears that the Lakers are making a move for him.
On “NBA Countdown” on Friday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN advised viewers to keep a watch on the Lakers as a possible trade partner for Bruce Brown, the former Denver Nuggets champion. According to Wojnarowski, the Lakers made an attempt to trade for Brown earlier this season and nearly acquired him this past summer for the midlevel exception.
In the Pascal Siakam blockbuster, Brown, 27, was just moved by the Indiana Pacers to the Toronto Raptors. Although he is a fantastic intangible asset who can score, rebound, and defend from a variety of positions, the youthful, rebuilding Raptors do not anticipate keeping him around.
The fact that Brown has a $23 million team option for the following season adds to his allure. One Lakers player who Brown targeted when the Nuggets defeated the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals last year may find things awkward after Brown is acquired. However, Brown is significantly less expensive than this other purple-and-gold trade candidate and provides all the minor things that a top-heavy team like the Lakers needs.
Reportedly, the Brooklyn Nets are asking a high price for their highly valued forward, Dorian Finney-Smith.
Brooklyn is requesting two first-round selections in any trade for Finney-Smith, according to Nets Daily.
The Nets acquired Finney-Smith as part of the package when they traded Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks in the previous campaign. In exchange, Brooklyn received just one first-round pick.
Even though Finney-Smith is a fantastic role player, he doesn’t seem like the kind of player who should get repeated firsts.
The Indiana Pacers recently sent multiple first-round picks for Pascal Siakam, who has made two All-NBA teams and was a key cog on a championship team. Finney-Smith is averaging 9.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game on 41.7% shooting from the field. The 6’7″ Nets forward is arguably the prototypical 3-and-D wing. While Finney Smith is valuable, the Nets may have trouble getting anything close to their rumored asking price. Fans posting on X couldn’t believe the Nets’ reported ask for Finney-Smith.
In his last ten games, Finney-Smith has not scored in double figures even once. During his last four games, his average has only been 3.8 points.
