Nuggets free agent Bruce Brown will meet with the Knicks, Rockets, Pacers, Mavericks and Lakers when free agency begins later today, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
Indiana was identified Thursday as a team to watch in the race for Brown. The Pacers have upwards of $30MM in cap room and can offer Brown more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Houston is the only other team among those five that can exceed the MLE for the versatile guard, but the Rockets reportedly are focused on other targets.
The Lakers remain confident about their chances to land Brown with the MLE, but there are also indications that he may be open to a return to Denver, even though the Nuggets are limited to a $7.8MM offer with his non-Bird rights.
Lakers are delusional. I do think Brown is gonna leave Denver, but it won’t be for the NTMLE. Nuggets can match that (over several years). It’s gonna take $15-17m, in that range. Watch the Rockets and Pacers. I think Indy’s too perfect a fit not to be #1, but Houston has all but infinite cap room so why the heck not. They might offer him $20m, which would be crazy as he’s actually not that great a player. Just had a great run in the playoffs, and benefited (like everyone) by playing with Jokic.
I think he is not delusional and will probably leave. He used to play PG and has pretty good ball handling skills that feels underused until late last year.
He should cash in and get that money while he can. I think he’s def one of those players that can help push a team.
That said, it should be the Lakers or Nuggets.
Lakers flat cannot afford him.
It’s easy for us to turn down 6M in imaginary money
It’s harder for the Bruce Brown in real life, who wants to set up his family for generations, to do it
How are the Lakers delusional? They can offer him the full mid level (12 mil and some change)
Denver can only offer 7 and change.
If Bruce wants to win, and get paid well the Lakers are his best option.
Denver literally can’t pay Brown idk why you’re suggesting he’s going to stay
Why is he not meeting with the Cavs?
Bruce Brown will be a great fit for the Indiana Pacers Houston Rockets or Dallas Mavericks.
Los Angeles Lakers can’t afford him.
Bruce Brown might get 4 years $64 million deal out there on the open market.
LAL can certainly use the full MLE and BAE right now. About 95 mm in salary, and about 25 mm in critical cap holds (1st, Reaves and Rui), puts them about 50 mm below the first apron (hard cap level). Reaves’ raise won’t eat up more than 12.5 mm of that. Brown would likely have priority over anything else.
The full MLE for 4 years is about 20 mm more than what DEN can now offer over 4 years. If he goes back to DEN it will likely be on a 1+1, which means he might be able to make most of it up, but only at the risk of losing 38 mm in guaranteed money.
Brodgon, Kornet, houser and picks for Paul
So many people saying “Lakers can’t afford him” when the Lakers can offer more money than Denver and can offer similar money to these other 5 teams.
People really just let their disdain for the Lakers let them make ridiculous comments with 0 evidence to back them up
Forgive them for what they know not, there just winging it from article to article mixing in a lot of emotions and code words they learned on the street
Nows the time of year you can really tell who knows a thing or 2