Knicks Report: Bruce Brown, Alec Burks Linked as Potential NBA Trade Deadline Targets
The New York Knicks already added OG Anunoby in a trade with the Toronto Raptors this winter, but it appears the franchise isn’t done making roster alterations ahead of the NBA’s Feb. 8 trade deadline.
The Knicks have expressed interest in veteran guard Bruce Brown and the team’s front office “has tossed around Alec Burks’ name” as a potential target, according to The Athletic’s Fred Katz.
Brown began the 2023-24 season with the Indiana Pacers after signing a two-year, $45 million contract in free agency.
However, the Pacers shipped Brown, along with Jordan Nwora and three first-round draft picks, to the Raptors earlier this month in exchange for Pascal Siakam.
After unloading Anunoby and Siakam this winter, the Raptors are headed for a major rebuild, and while Brown is a talented player, he doesn’t fit Toronto’s timeline, which has led to speculation that he may be traded again.
Brown has put together a solid campaign between the Pacers and Raptors. In 36 games, he’s averaging 11.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 48.1 percent from the floor and 32.4 percent from deep.
The 2023 NBA champion started all 33 games he played with the Pacers, but he has come off the bench to begin his career with the Raptors.
While Toronto is headed for a rebuild, the asking price for Brown in any deal is high. NBA insider Marc Stein reported Monday on his This League Uncut podcast that the veteran’s value has been set at a first-round pick and a productive player.
Brown was asked about the rumors linking him to the Knicks earlier this week, and it seems like he would have no problem suiting up for head coach Tom Thibodeau.
“I am a dog,” Brown told the New York Post’s Jared Schwartz following Toronto’s 126-100 loss to the Knicks on Saturday. “I play extremely hard on both ends of the floor. I can do just about whatever [Thibodeau] needs me to do.”
Brown also told Schwartz that he had contract discussions with the Knicks in free agency but that they didn’t match Indiana’s offer. He added that he learned of Thibodeau’s admiration for his game during those negotiations.
“I play extremely hard,” Brown said. “I would think [I’m] the type of player that he likes… Every time we play Thibs I go up to him and shake his hand, just because of what he’s done. Nothing but respect for Thibs.”
Burks has spent the last two seasons of his career with the Detroit Pistons and is in the midst of a solid campaign, averaging 12.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 36 games while shooting 39.2 percent from the floor and 40.0 percent from deep.
The 32-year-old spent two seasons with the Knicks between 2020-2022 and was a valuable member off the bench for the franchise, averaging 12.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 130 games while shooting 40.3 percent from the floor and 40.8 percent from beyond the arc.
Either player would be a solid addition for the Knicks, which are 10-2 since acquiring Anunoby and sit fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 27-17 record.
