Lakers Should Target Nuggets FA Bruce Brown for NBA Title Push amid Latest NBA Rumors

The Los Angeles Lakers appear to be operating with the belief that LeBron James will return for the 2023-24 season. They've taken the first steps to reforge a roster that reached the Western Conference Finals before falling to the Denver Nuggets.

On Tuesday, Los Angeles announced that it had extended qualifying offers to Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, making them restricted free agents. Both players can negotiate with other teams, but the Lakers have the right to match offers.

And in Reaves' case, the Lakers appear poised to match any offer he receives.

"The Lakers, league sources say, are a lock to match any offer on Reaves—even if someone signs Reaves to the maximum allowable offer sheet worth nearly $100 million over four years," NBA insider Marc Stein wrote.

It also appears likely that L.A. will bring back D'Angelo Russell instead of selling out for an upgrade at point guard.

"NBA insiders generally believe that, at worst, his re-signing with the Lakers is likely," Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times wrote.

All of this suggests that Rob Pelinka and the Lakers' front office believe that James will be back and that L.A. is close to winning another championship. They're looking to bring back a roster that was constructed at the trade deadline and managed to reach the conference finals as the No. 7 seed.

Don't expect sweeping changes in L.A. this offseason. Instead, look for the Lakers to augment what they already have by adding complementary players. That's why the Lakers' rumored pursuit of Denver's Bruce Brown is extremely logical.

According to Mike Singer of the Denver Post, Los Angeles has "significant" interest in adding Brown:

Russell and the point-guard position proved to be the weak link against the Nuggets, and the Lakers would reportedly like to find a better fit—but doing so in the early offseason appears unlikely.

"Their preference is to find a superior player by either sign-and-trading Russell elsewhere in July or, more likely at this point, re-signing him and then potentially trading him later in the season for a better player or fit," The Athletic's Jovan Buha wrote on June 16.

In the meantime, L.A. can find strong role players like Brown. He'd be a sensible addition to the projected roster because he can help provide insurance/depth behind James at forward. He could help manage James' minutes during the regular season and provide a centerpiece for the second unit.

Brown has also proved that he can perform well on the big stage. During the 2023 playoffs, he averaged 12 points, four rebounds and 1.9 assists in just over 26 minutes per game.

The 6'4", 202-pound Miami product also has some positional versatility, which would give Darvin Ham lineup flexibility in a seven-game series. And, after appearing in 100 games with the Nuggets last season (including playoffs), Brown could provide a little insight into how to best counter what is likely to be Los Angeles' biggest postseason obstacle, Denver.

As Singer noted, the Lakers can offer Brown the full mid-level exception. While that's more than what Denver can offer, it would still fit within L.A.'s plan of bringing back its own while targeting a team-friendly contract or two in free agency.

If James does return, and this squad has a full offseason together, the Lakers should find an easier path through the 2024 postseason. If the L.A. could add Brown and maximize rookies like first-round pick Jalen Hood-Schifino, it could even have a better playoff lineup once it arrives.

No, adding Brown wouldn't generate headlines in the same way that landing Chris Paul—a player the Lakers were interested in signing but only at the veteran minimum, per Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times—but it would put L.A. one step closer to having a complete championship-caliber roster.