Bruce Brown Is Signing A Two-Year, $45 Million Deal With The Indiana Pacers

A year ago, Bruce Brown signed with the Denver Nuggets on a 2-year, $13 million deal in hopes of showcasing his talents on a contender with a more egalitarian approach after serving as the Nets’ utility man to various degrees of success. The result was a championship run in Denver, with Brown becoming a key cog in the Nuggets’ playoff rotation, averaging 12.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game in the postseason.

With his stock as high as ever, Brown unsurprisingly declined his player option to explore the open market. While Denver obviously wanted him back, they could only offer him a deal worth 120 percent of his 2022-23 salary, meaning Brown leaving the place he fit so well was his best chance to cash in on a terrific season. As free agency got closer, Brown’s list of suitors grew to just about every team with the full mid-level, but also some who had cap space to give him a bigger deal than the $12.4 million mid-level.

The Pacers ended up as the team to land Brown, handing him a massive two-year, $45 million deal, per Adrian Wojnarowski and Malika Andrews, to bring some much needed perimeter defense to Indiana, slotting in alongside Tyrese Haliburton in the backcourt.

Brown put his versatile skillset on display in the Nuggets championship run and earned himself a big time contract in the process. He will go to a young Indiana team hoping to become a Play-In threat next year and will bring some much needed defense and veteran savvy. It’s a big loss for the Nuggets, who probably would’ve had a shot at retaining him on a one-year deal with a promise of a long-term deal in 2024 had Brown’s market remained just the mid-level squads. But the $45 million over two years was too good to pass up, and he can look to cash in again in 2025.