Raptors free agency: 3 Fred VanVleet replacements to do homework on
By Mike Luciano
2. Bruce Brown
Brown has been very productive with the Nuggets following his offseason departure from Brooklyn, but he is almost assuredly going to opt out in search of a bigger deal. While he is not the offensive player VanVleet is, Brown was born to play under Masai Ujiri.
Brown, who was playing point guard and small-ball power forward with the Nets, has averaged 10.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game over the last two seasons with 50/39/74 shooting splits. His defensive abilities are what could get Ujiri and the Raptors very interested in his talent.
The Toronto Raptors need a player like Bruce Brown.
Brown has handled the ball somewhat regularly for Denver and Brooklyn, and he came up in he league as a traditional point guard. Despite that, Brown can man four different defensive positions. With improved offense to boot, he is perfect for Ujiri and Nick Nurse’s ultra-switchable vision.
The Nuggets may not have the means needed to retain Brown long-term, as their desire to build a collection of stars around Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray has already forced them to trade away promising guard Bones Hyland. Toronto should get on the horn with Brown ASAP.