{"id":114461,"date":"2024-12-28T07:00:52","date_gmt":"2024-12-28T12:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=114461"},"modified":"2024-12-28T02:49:11","modified_gmt":"2024-12-28T07:49:11","slug":"kings-predicted-to-land-45-0m-nba-champion-bruce-brown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/12\/28\/kings-predicted-to-land-45-0m-nba-champion-bruce-brown\/","title":{"rendered":"Kings Predicted To Land $45.0M NBA Champion"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/12\/27\/kings-fire-head-coach-mike-brown\/\" target=\"_self\">Sacramento Kings<\/a> are in desperate need of a turnaround. Their recent struggles have led to speculation about potential trade moves to strengthen their roster. Among the names being <a  href=\"https:\/\/clutchpoints.com\/nba-trade-market-west-contenders-buying-east-sellers-siegels-scoop\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">linked<\/a> to the Kings is <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/12\/25\/time-hawks-raptors-revisit-trade-talks\/\" target=\"_self\">Toronto Raptors<\/a> forward <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/brownbr01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bruce Brown<\/a>, a proven winner and versatile two-way player.<\/p>\n<h2>Kings Predicted To Land $45.0M NBA Champion, Bruce Brown<\/h2>\n<h3>Kings in Crisis<\/h3>\n<p>The Kings\u2019 season has fallen short of expectations. With a <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/standings\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">13-18<\/a> record, they sit 12th in the Western Conference. Their recent five-game losing streak, capped by a heartbreaking loss to the Detroit Pistons, highlights their struggles. Despite acquiring <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/derozde01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DeMar DeRozan<\/a> in the summer, the team has failed to find consistency.<\/p>\n<p>Sacramento remains committed to building around its core trio of <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/f\/foxde01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">De&#8217;Aaron Fox<\/a>, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/sabondo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Domantas Sabonis<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/12\/27\/kings-all-star-demar-derozan\/\" target=\"_self\">DeRozan<\/a>. However, their current roster construction isn\u2019t yielding results, and the team is actively exploring trade options to add talent.<\/p>\n<h3>Bruce Brown\u2019s Championship Pedigree<\/h3>\n<p>Brown, currently with the Raptors, has emerged as a potential trade target for Sacramento. Brown played a key role in the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/08\/10\/nuggets-attempting-to-do-two-timeline-approach-warriors-couldnt-do\/\" target=\"_self\">Denver Nuggets<\/a>\u2019 2022-23 championship run before signing a two-year, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.spotrac.com\/nba\/player\/_\/id\/27008\/bruce-brown-jr#:~:text=2023%2D2024%20Free%20Agent,dead%20cap%20value%20of%20%2423%2C000%2C000.\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">$45.0M<\/a> deal with the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/11\/01\/pacers-set-to-solve-tyrese-haliburton-and-pascal-siakam-problem\/\" target=\"_self\">Indiana Pacers<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The Pacers later traded him to Toronto in the <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/siakapa01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pascal Siakam<\/a> deal. Despite undergoing knee surgery in September, Brown is <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nba\/bruce-brown-jr-player\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">nearing<\/a> a return to action. His ability to guard multiple positions and contribute offensively makes him a valuable asset for any team.<\/p>\n<h3>Bruce Brown\u2019s Fit on the Kings<\/h3>\n<p>Brown\u2019s versatility could fill significant gaps for the Kings. He can guard positions 1-through-4 and offers a well-rounded offensive game. However, his three-point shooting remains a concern, with a career <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/1628971\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">average<\/a> of 33.7%.<\/p>\n<p>In 34 games with the Raptors, Brown averaged 9.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. While his numbers with Toronto were slightly down compared to his time with Indiana, his defensive prowess and championship experience make him a prime candidate to help stabilize Sacramento.<\/p>\n<h3>Sacramento\u2019s Trade Assets<\/h3>\n<p>The Kings reportedly plan to leverage <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/huertke01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kevin Huerter\u2019s<\/a> contract and a future first-round pick in a potential trade for Brown. Huerter\u2019s <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.spotrac.com\/nba\/player\/_\/id\/26985\/kevin-huerter#:~:text=Kevin%20Huerter%20signed%20a%204,dead%20cap%20value%20of%20%2416%2C830%2C357.\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">$16.83M<\/a> cap hit makes him an attractive asset for teams looking for an expiring contract next year.<\/p>\n<p>Huerter, a <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/1628989\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">career<\/a> 37.7% three-point shooter, has struggled this season, hitting only 31.2% of his attempts. However, his age (26) and reputation as a floor spacer may appeal to interested teams.<\/p>\n<p>Sacramento also has multiple exceptions, including the <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.hoopsrumors.com\/2024\/06\/values-of-2024-25-mid-level-bi-annual-exceptions.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">$7.983M<\/a> room exception, to facilitate salary matching in a trade. They retain first-round picks from 2026 through 2030, providing additional flexibility to structure a deal.<\/p>\n<h3>Raptors\u2019 Motivation to Move Brown<\/h3>\n<p>Toronto is actively shopping Brown to acquire draft capital before the trade deadline. With his contract set to expire after the 2024-25 season, moving him now allows the Raptors to gain long-term assets while resetting their roster.<\/p>\n<p>Brown\u2019s $23.0M cap hit for the season could align well with Sacramento\u2019s needs, especially as they look to bolster their perimeter defense. If a trade materializes, Brown could become Sacramento\u2019s best perimeter defender, alongside <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/e\/elliske01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Keon Ellis<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Will Bruce Brown Be the Missing Piece for the Kings?<\/h3>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/12\/28\/deaaron-fox-saga-takes-a-compelling-turn\/\" target=\"_self\">Kings<\/a> need a shake-up to salvage their season and live up to their postseason aspirations. Adding Brown could provide the defensive stability and veteran presence they desperately need.<\/p>\n<p>While doubts remain about Brown\u2019s shooting, his championship pedigree and versatility could make him a valuable addition. If Sacramento finalizes this move, it will signal a renewed commitment to making a deep playoff push.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Sacramento Kings are in desperate need of a turnaround. Their recent struggles have led to speculation about potential trade moves to strengthen their roster. Among the names being linked to the Kings is Toronto Raptors forward Bruce Brown, a proven winner and versatile two-way player. Kings Predicted To Land $45.0M NBA Champion, Bruce Brown [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":114466,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608,29,14],"tags":[49059,49979,4533,664,350,1102,49671,4624,1600,408,4975,98,4745,596,4774,1382,662,563,1754],"class_list":["post-114461","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-kings","category-raptors","tag-2024-nba-free-agents","tag-2024-25-nba-season","tag-bruce-brown","tag-deaaron-fox","tag-demar-derozan","tag-domantas-sabonis","tag-exceptions","tag-keon-ellis","tag-kevin-huerter","tag-nba-championship","tag-nba-contracts","tag-nba-draft","tag-nba-injuries","tag-nba-playoffs","tag-rumors","tag-nba-trade","tag-nba-trade-deadline","tag-nba-western-conference","tag-pascal-siakam"],"modified_by":"Frederick Okocha","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114461","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=114461"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114461\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":114467,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114461\/revisions\/114467"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/114466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=114461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=114461"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=114461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}