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The glamor of the Los Angeles Lakers has done wonders once again this past offseason, helping them secure the commitment of several key names in the market.
As free agency began in July, the Lakeshow went successful in bringing Deandre Ayton, a highly important addition to address their glaring big man depth. Jake LaRavia also came in as a key signing in the wake of Dorian Finney-Smith’s departure, as his underrated 3-and-D tendencies fit nicely to the play styles of Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
Afterwards, the Lakers nailed another huge one by going after Marcus Smart. Seeking to redeem himself after recent injury-plagued seasons, the former Defensive Player of the Year is expected to bring his edge, tenacity and leadership to this LA team seeking to win it all.
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Bruce Brown rejected Lakers’ FA offer, opted to reunite with Nuggets
While the Lakers were able to attract those three to join them, they meanwhile failed in their pursuit of recruiting one of the league’s best role players who chose to reunite with his title-winning team.
Per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, the Lakers were one of the key few teams rejected by Bruce Brown, who eventually headed to the Denver Nuggets as a free agent.
"[Brown] followed through on that point by taking the Nuggets’ offer amid interest from other teams, including the Lakers and Suns, league sources told The Post,” Durando penned. “I was like, ‘You know what, I don’t care how much (I get offered). If I get somewhere more, I don’t care. I’m just gonna go back to Denver because I just think it’s a perfect fit for me. Playing style, and I mean, I want to win again. So I think it was a pretty quick answer for me once I found out they wanted me back.’ ”
Brown inked a one-year, $3 million deal with the Nuggets, allowing him to return to the franchise that he helped win its first NBA championship two years ago.
As Denver’s ace sixth man, Brown offered a great all-around help, averaging 11.5 points, 4.1 boards and 3.4 assists which propelled him to bag a two-year, $45 million deal from the Indiana Pacers in the 2023 offseason.
It’s a justifiable decision for Brown to reconnect with the Nuggets, but the Lakers can only wonder if the do-it-all wingman chose them instead. From the defense, playmaking and reliable offensive play, Brown would have been a perfect cog in LA’s system under J.J. Redick.
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