Raptors Pick Up Player Option on 2023 NBA Champion Forward
2023 NBA champion Bruce Brown will play for the Toronto Raptors next season, as the team picked up on his 23-million-dollar player option. The news was first broken by Adrian Wojnarowski. The six-foot-four versatile guard averaged around 11 points, three assists, and four rebounds for the Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors this past season. He signed a two-year, $45 million last offseason with the Pacers with the second year being a team option. In the middle of the season, Brown was traded to the Raptors for salary-matching purposes in the Pascal Siakam trade. Going from the Pacers, a team that made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, to the 12th-seed Raptors was likely a tough pill to swallow for Brown, however, the team wants to run it back with the forward who was a key piece for the 2023 Denver Nuggets.
Brown didn’t necessarily have a down season, but not playing for the NBA champions means less time in the public eye. He was an integral part of the Denver Nuggets winning the 2023 title, further proven by the Nuggets falling in the second round to the Minnesota Timberwolves this season. He averaged 12 points, two assists, and four rebounds in 20 games off the bench in the playoffs last season, just one year after averaging 14 points per game in the playoffs with the Brooklyn Nets. As a role player, Brown brings playoff/championship experience, an unselfish mindset, and a versatile skill set at both ends of the floor to the Raptors.
Given the current roster construction, Brown’s fit with Raptors will be interesting. Throughout his career, the seven-year vet has bounced in and out of the starting lineup, and with the Raptors, that likely won’t change. Having played with numerous stars in his career, such as Nikola Jokic, Kevin Durant, and most recently, Tyrese Haliburton, Bruce Brown should be a perfect fit back with this Toronto franchise. It will be interesting to see if Brown can help his team return to the big stage and show again why he was a key piece in an NBA championship run just two seasons ago.
