Bruce Brown almost signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Getty
The Los Angeles Lakers nearly signed a Denver Nuggets guard in 2023 free agency.
The Los Angeles Lakers nearly poached a guard from the Denver Nuggets in 2023 free agency. The Nuggets were fresh off winning their first NBA championship and were about to lose Bruce Brown Jr. for nothing.
In an interview with DNVR Sports, Brown revealed that he almost signed a three-year, $50 million contract with the Lakers. He was slated to be the purple and gold’s starting point guard, teaming up with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
“I was going to the Lakers. Free agency started, they called me. Darvin Ham’s the coach, (Jordan Ott) is there, J.O.’s my guy, and they wanted me to be the starting point guard. So I’m like, ‘I got LeBron, I got AD, I got guys.’ They went to the Western Conference Finals. I want to win again. I can be a starting point guard for this, and all I’m doing is giving them the ball and getting the hell out of the way,” Brown said.
Brown added that the Lakers were getting ready to announce the deal when his agent called about the Indiana Pacers‘ offer of $45 million for two years. He ended up signing with the Pacers, while the Lakers brought back D’Angelo Russell and signed Gabe Vincent as backup point guard.
Lakers Remained Interested in Brown Last Season
Despite turning down the Los Angeles Lakers in favor of the Indiana Pacers, Bruce Brown Jr. was still on the radar of the purple and gold franchise last season. Brown’s time in Indiana was unfruitful, and he was traded to the Toronto Raptors midway through the 2023-24 NBA season.
The Raptors then traded him to the New Orleans Pelicans last season as part of the Brandon Ingram deal. But before that trade, the Lakers was one of the teams interested in Brown, as reported by Evan Sidery of Forbes.
The Lakers were fresh off acquiring Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks, and they wanted to improve their roster around him. However, the Pelicans had the best offer, so Brown played for his third team in two seasons.
After becoming a free agent this summer, Brown returned to the Denver Nuggets. He’s back to his previous role off the bench, providing every little bit of what the Nuggets need him to do.
Lakers Looking to Improve Perimeter Defense
One of the things coach JJ Redick has constantly brought up this season is the Los Angeles Lakers’ defense. Redick always wanted to see more from his players on that end of the floor, but they lack the right personnel to be one of the best defensive teams in the NBA.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Lakers are going to be actively looking to improve their perimeter defense. One of the players they are monitoring is New Orleans Pelicans defensive specialist forward Herb Jones.
“The Los Angeles Lakers are monitoring the trade market for a defensive wing upgrade, league sources told HoopsHype. Among the 3-and-D wing upgrades on their wish list is New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones, league sources say,” Scotto wrote.
The Lakers and other NBA teams interested in Jones will have to wait until January 15, 2026. He signed a three-year, $68 million contract extension last July, so he’s not yet eligible to get traded.