Bruce Brown’s injury admission explains major 2023-24 Raptors struggles

Bruce Brown had a very tough and eventful season, being traded from the Indiana Pacers to the Toronto Raptors in the Pascal Siakam blockbuster, all while dealing with leg injuries, and he got real about how he was impacted after the Raptors’ 118-103 loss to the Miami Heat in the season finale.

“I haven’t been myself since December… I keep bruising my femur, so my bone keeps rubbing against my bone when I bend my knee, so there is a lot of inflammation and swelling in there,” Bruce Brown said, via Michael Grange of SportsNet.

Brown did say that he is confident that the on-going issue would resolve itself this summer, according to Grange.

Despite being injured, Brown played in 66 games this season, averaging 10.9 points with 4.3 points and 2.9 assists per game, according to Basketball Reference. After being a fan favorite on the Denver Nuggets in the 2022-2023 season, helping them win the NBA Championship, this season did not go to plan. With the Pacers, Brown averaged 12.1 points with 4.7 rebounds and three assists in 33 games. Then he was part of the Jan. 17 trade that sent Pascal Siakam to the Pacers.

Brown played in 33 games for the Raptors as well, averaging 9.8 points with 3.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. There was some thought that the Raptors could flip Brown at the deadline to a contender, but they ultimately kept him.

Raptors’ offseason outlook

The Raptors will have a decision to make with Brown this summer. He signed a two-year, $45 million contract with the Pacers last summer, and his cap hit was $22 million for this year, according to Spotrac. That contract includes a club option for the 2024-2025 season, and Brown’s cap hit would be $23 million next year if it gets picked up.

It will be interesting to see the decision that the Raptors make with Brown this offseason, but it could be useful for them to pick up the option. Brown is one year separated from being a valuable piece of a championship team, and his salary could be useful in potential trades either this summer or leading up to the trade deadline next season.

Brown did not help his trade value with his play this season with the Raptors, so it might be wise for Toronto to decline his option if the value is not there. There is the possibility that Brown coming in healthy next year could result in him playing well and raising his trade value.

The Raptors are having a sort of youth movement, hoping to establish a core with players like Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett. It will be about building around those players and adding some pieces to try to get the Raptors back on the right track and eventually become contenders in the Eastern Conference.