The Bruce Brown reunion in Denver seemed almost inevitable long before free agency officially began, but apparently, it wasn’t so obvious, and it almost turned disastrous. According to Bennett Durando of the Denver Post, Brown was also considering joining the Lakers and Suns before ultimately choosing the Nuggets.
It was painful enough seeing Brown leave two years ago, but at least it was an extremely understandable financial decision, and he went to a team that Nuggets fans have no animosity towards. He worked up no ill-will bouncing from the Pacers to Raptors to Pelicans, and it was easy to welcome him back with open arms.
But seeing him spurn the Nuggets to sign a similar deal with the hated Lakers would have been devastating. LA is trying to rebuild its team around Luka Doncic, an aging and injured LeBron James, and, to a lesser extent, Austin Reaves. They made some nice additions this summer in Jake LaRavia, Deandre Ayton, and Marcus Smart, and hope to get back into the top tier of the Western Conference.
Brown was meant to be a Nugget, and he belongs in Denver, embracing his cowboy persona. Wearing Laker purple and gold with the glitz and glam of Los Angeles just would have felt wrong on every level.
Brown signing a massive sliding doors moment
For many of the same reasons that Brown did so well in Denver, he would have been great for the Lakers. He’s a very versatile player who has always fit especially well around superstars, as his game is so adaptable.
He can play with or without the ball and is a great screener and connective piece. He can play inside or outside and defend all kinds of different players. He’s a perfect Swiss Army Knife who needs role players to go along with top-line stars. It worked for the Nets with Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving, it worked for the Nuggets with Jokic and Jamal Murray, and it would have worked with Luka and LeBron.
Luckily, we’ll never know, as this crisis was averted in free agency, with Brown making the right decision. That decision may end up swinging the balance in the West. The Lakers feel a player or two short, and Brown would have been a perfect addition, but instead, he brings that advantage to the Nuggets, who should have one of the deepest benches in the entire NBA.