The Los Angeles Lakers acquired Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks over the weekend and more significant roster moves could be on the way in the days to come.
Both All-Star center Anthony Davis and wing Max Christie departed in the Doncic deal. Both were starters for L.A. and both played important defensive roles, Davis as a rim protector and Christie as a wing defender with the ability to square up against elite on-ball playmakers.
Replacing Davis will be a tall order, literally. Quality wing defenders aren’t easy to find, either, though the Lakers may have a line on such a player in Bruce Brown of the Toronto Raptors. Toronto has made Brown available on the trade market and a handful of teams are in the mix with approximately three days remaining before the NBA’s February 6 deadline.
“The Heat, Lakers, Pistons and Timberwolves have recently expressed trade interest in Bruce Brown,” Evan Sidery of Forbes reported in an X post Sunday. “Brown’s $23 million expiring contract will make negotiations difficult, especially for teams over the apron, but Toronto is indeed generating a market for the veteran combo guard.”
Bruce Brown Represents What Lakers Need on Defense
GettyBruce Brown of the Toronto Raptors.
Brown was a critical rotation player for the Denver Nuggets when that franchise won the championship two years ago, starting 31 of 80 games in the regular season and producing 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals in 28.5 minutes per night. He also shot nearly 36% from behind the 3-point line on 3.2 attempts per contest.
Brown left Denver the following year for a $45 million deal from the Indiana Pacers. He played roughly half of last season there before the team shipped him to Toronto.
Brown has career averages of 8.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 0.9 steals per game. At 28 years old he can offer the Lakers some of the perimeter defense they desperately required prior to Christie’s exit, and which they now need even more.
However, Brown’s shooting has fallen off some since Denver’s championship run. He hit 32.3% of his 3-point tries last year and has made just 33.3% this season. Doncic and LeBron James are expert playmakers but need shotmakers alongside them to reach peak effectiveness.
That said, Brown’s open looks would likely skyrocket in an offense alongside James and Doncic, which would likely result in an uptick in both his attempts and percentages.
LeBron James to Stay With Lakers This Season, Austin Reaves Potential Trade Candidate
GettyLeBron James (right) of the Los Angeles Lakers with former teammate Anthony Davis (left).
Acquisitions aren’t the only transactions still on the table in Los Angeles ahead of the trade deadline.
The team’s decision to deal Davis led to widespread speculation about James’ future, though that is more complicated as he is 40 years old, has a no-trade clause in his contract and can exercise a player option to either stay or leave in 2026-27.
In other words James holds all the cards, and NBA insider Chris Haynes reported on Sunday that James intends to remain with the Lakers through at least the end of this season.
Austin Reaves is another matter, however. He is most effective offensively with the basketball in his hands, and that will happen even less frequently now that Doncic has joined James in the mix. None of the three are exceptional defenders at this point in their respective careers, and Reaves is on a team-friendly contract that should up his trade value in the coming days.
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