The New York Knicks are still in trade mode even after landing OG Anunoby and the front office seems to like veteran wing Bruce Brown.
Per SNY’s Ian Begley, there is “significant internal support” for the team to acquire Brown in a trade. Brown signed a two-year deal with the Pacers last summer and was just shipped to Toronto in the Pascal Siakam trade. He’s averaging 12.1 points and shooting 47.5% from the field this season.
Begley also notes that the Knicks targeted Brown in free agency last offseason before he signed with Indiana. In New York, odds are he’d be a backup wing behind Anunoby. He would also bring championship experience, having won a ring with the Nuggets last year.
As to return, the Knicks would almost certainly ship Quentin Grimes to the Raptors, where he’d join former teammates RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. Both were shipped north in the Anunoby deal.
All this to say there is indeed an avenue for the Knicks to trade for Bruce Brown, but it seems unlikely. He’s not as strong a defender as Grimes and a much worse shooter. Begley also mentions the Knicks wanting to trade Grimes for a “ball handler/playmaker.”
Granted, Brown is something of a swingman when he wants to be despite being just 6-foot-4. However, He was primarily a wing in Indiana and the Knicks need more than that. Better for them to use their vast draft capital to try and trade for Dejounte Murray.
But even if Brown winds up a Knick, the team could do worse. Wing defenders are a key asset in today’s NBA and the defense-first Knicks should find a role for Bruce Brown if need be.
Until then, the team can keep climbing the Eastern Conference rankings.
