There aren’t many names on the free agent market who are more in demand than Bruce Brown, who turned down the player option in his contract with the Denver Nuggets to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. The Nuggets, fresh off of the first championship in franchise history, have made clear that they desperately want to bring back to do-everything wing who is among the most impactful role players in the NBA, but they’re by no means the only squad trying to acquire his services.
One team that has remained interested in Brown throughout is the Los Angeles Lakers, and it’s very easy to see how the soon-to-be 27-year-old would be an excellent fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. And apparently, Jovan Buha of The Athletic brings word that the Lakers are feeling better and better about their odds of bringing him on board.
The Lakers are increasingly confident they can sign Nuggets free-agent wing Bruce Brown Jr. for the non-taxpayer midlevel exception starting at a projected $12.4 million, multiple league sources not authorized to speak publicly on the matter told The Athletic.
Los Angeles has plenty of other business that needs to be taken care of as the offseason goes on, with players like Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura on the restricted free agency market. Having said that, the team can afford to be patient with those guys due to their status as restricted free agents, and it would certainly make sense for them to prioritize trying to get a guy like Brown on board as quickly as they can … if they can convince him to leave Denver.