In one version of recent NBA history, Bruce Brown played his final three seasons in Los Angeles rather than Denver, Indiana, and Toronto. According to him, it almost did. Brown was ready to sign a three-year contract with the Lakers after winning a championship with the Nuggets in 2023, where he would play point guard alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. After that, Indiana called and offered more money up front, and that was it. In the end, Gabe Vincent was signed by the Lakers. As they say, the rest is history, and neither side’s history is particularly favorable.
The Lakers and Brown are now connected once more in late August of 2026, with training camp just a few weeks away and Jonathan Kuminga recently signed in Minnesota. According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, Brown is being considered by Los Angeles, a team that has shown sincere interest in him for a number of years. That makes sense.
The Lakers reportedly looked into trading for Brown after Indiana sent him to Toronto in early 2024, but those negotiations broke down when the Raptors demanded a first-round pick and a valuable player in exchange, so the interest never completely subsided.
There is no acquisition cost this time. Brown, a 30-year-old free agent, just finished a season in Denver where he made 82 appearances and shot 38.5 percent from three. 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game aren’t particularly impressive figures, but they represent something more difficult to quantify on a stat sheet.
He is a versatile defender who can rebound above his size, guard several positions, handle the ball in pick-and-roll situations, and generally perform the connective work that opposing teams depend on from their depth pieces. That kind of flexibility is typically maximized rather than squandered under a coach like JJ Redick.
At this point, it’s important to clarify what Brown is and isn’t. He doesn’t have the same youth, athleticism, or scoring potential that the Lakers were pursuing all summer, so he’s not a Kuminga. He is thirty, not twenty-three. He has a fairly distinct ceiling as a contributor. However, given the current state of their roster, one could argue that the Lakers need more dependability than potential. Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic are already there to handle the creative load. A reliable, seasoned hand that has won before and doesn’t require the ball to have an effect is what the bench lacks.
The roster math is the challenge, and it’s a real one. There are currently 16 players with standard contracts in Los Angeles, one more than the regular-season cap. Brown would increase that to 17, which would require two players to be removed from the books prior to opening nite. Additionally, following the Walker Kessler sign-and-trade, the Lakers are hard-capped at the first apron, which restricts their creative problem-solving options. Before Brown can enter, someone must leave.
It seems like the Lakers’ front office has spent the entire summer trying to find a more straightforward solution to the wing issue, but they have consistently failed. Minnesota was Kuminga’s choice. The earlier discussions never ended. And now that camp is getting closer, the choices are much more limited. Although Brown isn’t the player the Lakers had in mind for this roster spot, he might be the most sensible one still available in August.
He came very close to this place once. The money got in the way. Even though the fit isn’t what either party had in mind in 2023, it still makes sense, and the money is now much less of a barrier. All the Lakers have to do is pave the way.
