Getty Image / Jevone Moore
Last offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers were expected to make a splash in the offseason to try and build a contender after missing the NBA playoffs the previous season.
That move never came and the team struggled earlier in the year.
Luckily, the organization finally got some deals done before the trade deadline to revamp their lineup.
The moves brought in multiple players who ended up having an impact for the team as they made an unexpected run to the Western Conference Finals.
That playoff run has the Lakers once again looking to build a contender this offseason.
They have some key pieces heading for free agency right now and will definitely need to improve if they are going to compete with the Denver Nuggets next season.
While that may be tough to pull off, it seems they could end up making a move that not only improves their lineup, but will also weaken the Nuggets.
According to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, the Lakers are increasingly confident that thy can sign Bruce Brown Jr this offseason for the non-taxpayer midlevel exception.
The Lakers are increasingly confident they can sign Nuggets free-agent wing Bruce Brown Jr. for the non-taxpayer midlevel exception starting at a projected $12.4 million, multiple league sources told @TheAthleticNBA: https://t.co/FYJHYG86V6
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) June 29, 2023
Brown Jr has bounced around quite a bit to start his NBA career, having already played for the Nets, Pistons, and Nuggets. However, he was a key contributor off the bench for Nuggets on their run to the title.
He averaged 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game for the Nuggets as the team’s 6th man.
With the Lakers, he could provide an offensive spark and his positional versatility would give the team options on where to play him depending on what else they end up doing in free agency.
He may not be the big star some are hoping the Los Angeles Lakers will land this offseason, but Bruce Brown Jr has proven he can be a key contributor on a title-winning squad and he’d certainly improve the Lakers’ roster.