The New York Knicks have made moves to possibly add a championship-caliber depth component.
According to The Athletic’s Fred Katz, the Knicks and Toronto Raptors have discussed a possible deal including Bruce Brown, who won a championship with the Denver Nuggets as 6th Man last season.
“The Knicks have spoken with the Toronto Raptors about Bruce Brown, according to league sources, but [Quentin] Grimes has not participated in those negotiations. Instead, negotiations have focused on Evan Fournier and Brown’s draft compensation,” Katz said on February 6.
The Raptors’ asking price for Brown remains high.
On January 21, Marc Stein stated that the Raptors are looking for a future first-round pick and a quality player at the very least.
“Toronto knows that a variety of contending teams are interested in Brown, noting his contributions to Denver’s title run last season, making the Raptors hopeful they can spark some robust bidding for a player with both championship pedigree and a team-friendly contract,” Stein wrote in the newsletter he sent out on January 21.
The draft compensation is a possible topic of contention in the negotiations.
Katz provided context for his report on X, formerly Twitter, by mentioning that the Raptors could have up to three first-round picks in June’s NBA Draft — their own plus two from the Indiana Pacers (Indiana’s own selection and the lesser of a Utah/Houston/LA Clippers/Oklahoma City pick) as a result of the Pascal Siakam trade.
“Toronto would likely prefer a first from 2025 or later for Brown. Meanwhile, the Knicks are attempting to retain as many future selections as possible in preparation for “the star trade,” according to Katz on X.
Brown actively advocated for a Knicks trade while the Raptors were in New York in January, following his trade from Indiana.
“Every time we play Thibs, I go up to him and shake his hand, just because of what he’s done,” Brown told Jared Schwartz of the New York Post on Saturday, January 20, immediately before his new club, the Toronto Raptors, lost 126-100 to the Knicks. “Nothing but respect for Thibs.”
Brown is averaging 9.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists, which are not exactly flashy figures that might help the Knicks bench in need of scoring, particularly in non-Jalen Brunson minutes. However, his defensive abilities and positional versatility make him an excellent fit in Tom Thibodeau’s system.
