NBA Rumors: Former champion could team up with LeBron at Lakers or with Curry at Warriors

LeBron James and Stephen Curry may be out with Team USA ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics, but that’s not stopping the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors from thinking about the upcoming NBA season.

And even though both teams have been quiet this summer, it looks like they plan to make more moves before the regular season gets underway. According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, both the Lakers and Warriors are teams to watch for Bruce Brown.

The report claims the Toronto Raptors are exploring the market for the veteran swingman, who helped Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets win the 2023 NBA championship, as Brown is entering the final year of his contract at $23 million.

“The Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks are two teams that showed interest in Brown last season, sources said, and Los Angeles maintains interest in him this offseason. One team whispered to have interest in Brown and was quietly mentioned as a possible suitor months ago is the Golden State Warriors,” Siegel wrote.

Bruce Brown #11 of the Toronto Raptors dribbles during the first half of the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on February 07, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Warriors may be in better position than Lakers to negotiate for Brown

“While unlikely to occur, the Warriors have the ability to move Andrew Wiggins, who is making more than $26 million this season, in a package from Toronto that includes Brown and other assets. This would open up more financial flexibility for the Dubs moving forward,” Siegel added.

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Wiggins, 29, has been linked with a move away from the Bay area following a disappointing performance in the 2023-24. He avoided being traded in February, but his name continues to be subject of trade rumors this offseason.

Even though his level declined, Wiggins played a pivotal role for Curry and company not long ago, helping the Warriors win the NBA championship in 2022. Since the Raptors will probably prefer to trade Brown instead of risking losing him for nothing in 2025, negotiating with the Warriors with Wiggins as compensation could make sense.

The Lakers are expected to do something to help LeBron James chase another ring but their potential compensation options may be less attractive. While the players who could be traded might be D’Angelo Russell and Cam Reddish, the team doesn’t have many draft picks to offer.