The Toronto Raptors took part in their second major trade of the 2023-24 NBA season on Wednesday afternoon. The team traded All-Star power forward Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora and three first-round picks. The New Orleans Pelicans also got involved, sending Kira Lewis Jr. and a second-round pick to Toronto to get under the luxury tax.
The Pacers, in the opinion of some people, could now compete with the upper-echelon teams in the Eastern Conference. Pairing Siakam with All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton will certainly be fun to watch on offense and Siakam provides the team with a much-needed upgrade on defense.
As for the Raptors, they are finally accepting the harsh reality of needing to rebuild. They held out for too long in the past with Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet, not maximizing their value and watching them leave in free agency. That wasn’t the case this time around, as they got value for Siakam and OG Anunoby, who was traded to the New York Knicks.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Bruce Brown, Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks Updates
While their two biggest trade chips are now moved, the Raptors aren’t expected to be done wheeling and dealing. Rumors have swirled that they will now look to flip Brown to another team in the NBA.
One team that they could look to do business with again is the Knicks. According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, via Legion Hoops on X, New York is one of the teams showing interest in acquiring Brown, who likely won’t be in Toronto very long.
Brown was excellent for the Denver Nuggets on their run to the NBA Championship last season. A multi-positional defender who can do a little bit of everything on offense is the kind of player winning teams have on their roster.
However, the Knicks already have a player like that in Josh Hart, who signed a massive four-year, $81 million extension with the team this past offseason. A big reason the Knicks unloaded Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett to land Anunoby was to get rid of some of the redundancy and overlapping skill sets on their roster.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Bruce Brown, Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks Updates
Acquiring Brown would just create another logjam as he and Hart are very similar players. Brown is a more capable ball-handler and playmaker, while Hart is a superior rebounder, possessing a slight edge in size and strength. Both are also inconsistent 3-point shooters and are only 6’4”.
That lack of size is something that would lead to Tom Thibodeau not wanting to play them together, as it is partly why Quentin Grimes cannot get on the court alongside Donte DiVincenzo often. Brown is a solid player, but his fit on New York’s roster would be an awkward one.
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