The trade deadline can't come soon enough.
There is undoubtedly a wide array of roster questions that need to be addressed, and further ones that have emerged as of late, with the Raptors squad winning games left and right given their relaxed schedule. Which veterans are going to stick around, which ones are headed for greener pastures?
Raptors fans can attest, with evidence in recent years, that they might not always clean house as expected. Remember during the infamous Tampa season, when everyone was convinced Kyle Lowry was outta there for sure? The Raptors only ended up parting ways with Norman Powell instead.
Nevertheless, the discourse among NBA insiders and the fan community alike is that Toronto will be a major player of the trade deadline, whether it's swooping in on a multi-team deal or working out deals to ship out their desirable veterans.
One such veteran balling out as this critical deadline approaches is Bruce Brown, who’s completely turned around his image among the Raptors' hierarchy and beyond.
Bruce Brown is playing like a role player stud once again
His early run with the Raptors last year left a lot to be desired, and although a lengthy process, the team's stylish cowboy has found his offensive groove once again.
In his last six outings for the Toronto Raptors, Brown has scored 10 or more points in five of them, doing his best to produce in a limited role off the bench. In a player like Bruce Brown, you don't neccesarily value him as an offensive spark plug (although he can get you buckets, too), but rather, it's the intangibles that set him apart.
At only 6-foot-4, Brown might not be the lengthiest wing out there, but he still goes up for boards and defends on the perimeter with commendable effort. He's got some playmaking skills in his arsenal too, and with all these talents wrapped up into one, it's cementing his case as a key contributor for a title core once more.
So what team is going to come out and win the services of Bruce Brown? We still don't know, but he's got four more games with the Raptors to keep shooting his trade stock to the moon.
Toronto would undoubtedly covet draft capital in any possible trades, and Brown is looking like the quality name a contender would give up a first-round pick for to help them immediately. The issue for many of these contenders, however, is making up the money to match Brown's $23 million expiring contract, which poses an issue that could result in him hitting the buyout market instead.
Although, in a recent piece, I also suggested the thought of re-signing Bruce Brown as an important veteran role player for the future. He's playing well, and the market is still kind of cloudy, so why not, right?
This idea makes things a little more interesting in regard to Brown's future, but, seeing as recent reports indicated that Toronto only has two untouchables (Scottie Barnes and Gradey Dick), trading Brown remains a hot-button topic of discussion.
In the modern NBA, it's draft picks that are king. Oklahoma City and Philadelphia have been masters of this sentiment, and the Toronto Raptors need to follow suit. Is Bruce Brown the first Jenga block to topple on the way to that ultimate goal?
Regardless of whether he stays or leaves, Bruce Brown is poised to provide the Raptors with exactly what they need when the trade deadline arrives.