Bruce Brown seems to be asking for Knicks trade with Tom Thibodeau comments

It took all of two games before the hype around Toronto Raptors guard Bruce Brown, the best player Toronto picked up in the Pascal Siakam trade with the Indiana Pacers, has died down. Trade rumors swirling is one thing, but openly feeding into them is a whole different can of worms.

Brown and his uniquely versatile style of play have averaged 11.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game with the Raptors, which are almost right on par with what he was doing in Indiana. However, Toronto's desire to rebuild has contenders around the league circling overheard, trying to pick at their carcass.

Even though the Knicks, who already acquired OG Anunoby, have a player with a very similar skillset in Josh Hart, Tom Thibodeau will never turn down a switchable defense-first player. In a stunning twist, Brown seemed to directly make a case for a Knicks trade, talking up his value to a coach like Thibodeau.

“I am a dog,” Brown said before Toronto's thorough beatdown at the hands of the Knicks on Saturday. “I play extremely hard on both ends of the floor. I can do just about whatever [Tom Thibodeau] needs me to do.” Just two games in, Brown already has his eyes set somewhere that isn't Toronto.

Toronto Raptors guard Bruce Brown seemingly wants trade to Knicks

Brown is a CAA client, much like Anunoby and many other prominent Knicks players. Time will tell if that connection off the court will be strong enough to both get trade talks started and progress them to the point where Masai Ujiri receives an acceptable offer.

With a prime Raptors target like Donte DiVincenzo likely not available in these talks, many seem to be interested in the idea of getting a promising young guard in Quentin Grimes, adding Evan Fournier's albatross as salary ballast, and absorbing some unprotected draft capital as compensation.

Per Michael Grange of Sportsnet, Brown has taken a more casual approach to the rumors. Brown is well aware of the rumors and seems content to lace them up in Toronto or elsewhere. This is either coping with the fact he's stuck on a rebuilding team or an incredibly professional way to go about things.

Brown is an expensive player owed north of $20 million next season, but Ujiri has been after him for years. While there is a logical stance to be taken in defense of keeping Brown, the man himself seems to be eyeing that orange and blue Knicks jersey.