December 26, 2024

Knicks among teams with trade interest after missing in free agency

The Knicks need changes but firing Thibodeau isn't the answer - New York  Amsterdam News

There’s a chance Bruce Brown could be on the move again, and the Knicks are reportedly among the teams interested in his services.

Brown, who went from the Pacers to the Raptors in the Pascal Siakam blockbuster earlier this week, has a “big market,” and that includes the Knicks, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Friday.

The Lakers, who pursued him in free agency, are also among those interested in the 27-year-old small forward, according to Wojnarowski.

The Knicks were also interested in Brown, whose Raptors will be facing the Knicks at the Garden on Saturday night, as a free agent in the summer and pitched him on the idea.

A couple of months ago, Brown told The Post he spoke with Tom Thibodeau and Leon Rose via FaceTime chat and they “were saying to come in and be a defender, do the little things to help them win.”

Apparently Thibodeau is a longtime Brown enthusiast.

“Thibs has always been a fan of mine, even coming out the draft when he was with Minnesota,” said Brown, a second-round pick in 2018. “And every time I played against him we had a few communications. But this was the first time to actually get a chance to get me.”

In the end, the Knicks had no chance in free agency.

They only could offer the midlevel exception at about $12.4 million annually, and Brown took a two-year, $45 million offer from the Pacers (next season is a team option at $23 million).

A source said Brown was the Knicks’ second choice for their mid-level exception after Max Strus, who signed with the Cavaliers for more than New York could offer.

The Knicks pivoted to Donte DiVincenzo and that signing has worked out well for Rose.

Brown, an NBA champion last season with the Nuggets, was averaging 12.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game with the Pacers before the trade to Toronto.

He has a career 48.2 percent mark from the field, hitting 33.9 percent of his shots from beyond the 3-point arc.

Brown scored 15 points in his first game with the Raptors, a 116-110 loss to the Bulls on Thursday night.

He admitted to still becoming just familiar with his new surroundings.

Toronto Raptors forward Bruce Brown (11) is defended by Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) and guard Coby White (0) as he goes to the net during second-half NBA basketball game action in Toronto, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024.

“I didn’t know the plays,” Brown told reporters after the game, according to the Associated Press. “I was just trying to be in the right spots.”

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