Over the last few seasons, the Indiana Pacers have been busy making moves to shake up the roster. This includes trading players like Buddy Hield, Malcolm Brogdon, and Domantas Sabonis. On the flip side, the Pacers have acquired players like Aaron Nesmith, Obi Toppin, and Tyrese Haliburton, who were each essential to the Pacers' conference finals run earlier this year.
Easily the biggest move the Pacers made, however, was trading for former champion Pascal Siakam from the Toronto Raptors in January. Acquiring Siakam elevated the Pacers at every level of the game and gave Haliburton a new partner in crime.
When fans discuss the Siakam trade, most talk about what landing the two-time All-Star did for the Pacers. However, not as many discuss who the team traded to make the deal happen.
The Pacers traded a few assets to Toronto for Siakam, but the most notable player involved was Bruce Brown, another former champion from his time with the Denver Nuggets. Nearly a year after getting shipped to Toronto, it seems that the former Pacer is a legitimate trade candidate once again.
Bruce Brown has been named a top trade candidate for the 2024-25 NBA season
In a recent article for HoopsHype, Michael Scotto revealed each team's top trade candidate. Scotto named Brown, who is still with the Raptors, as their top trade candidate. In the article, Scotto mentioned Brown's expiring contract as the main factor in the Raptors having interest in moving on from him.
"One prevalent belief throughout the league is that Toronto will look to trade Bruce Brown, who’s on an expiring $23 million deal. Last year, Toronto declined offers of multiple second-round picks for Brown, league sources told HoopsHype. This season, Brown has yet to play after having an arthroscopic surgical procedure on his right knee," Scotto wrote.
Since getting traded to the Raptors, the Boston native has played in 34 games for the team, one more than he did with the Pacers. In those games, he is averaging 9.6 points on 48.1% shooting, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. Furthermore, he has taken on more of a backup role, starting just 11 games for the team.
Brown has yet to make his season debut as he recovers from knee surgery. However, according to Raptors analyst Blake Murphy, the 28-year-old is "ramping up" his condition and should return to the court in the near future.
Though he was only in Indiana for a brief (and rather uneventful) time, Pacers fans know what Brown is capable of. He is a versatile player who can play well on both sides of the court. There is no doubt that teams will express interest in Brown, especially if the Raptors do plan on trading him ahead of the trade deadline.