The Golden State Warriors have a hole they need to fill in the wake of De'Anthony Melton's devastating season-ending ACL injury suffered against the Dallas Mavericks earlier in the month.
Steve Kerr has started Lindy Waters III in the seven games since Melton's injury, but the Warriors have just a 3-4 record during that period with the 27-year-old shooting just over 34% from 3-point range.
The Warriors have been linked to a possible move for Bruce Brown
Golden State could certainly do with an upgrade at the shooting guard position, with a number of alternatives proposed given the front office now has Melton's $12.8 million expiring salary in which to utilize prior to February 6 trade deadline.
One new name is now on the radar with Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report mentioning Bruce Brown as a possible trade target during a recent appearance on Canadian sports radio.
“I’m not like, reporting that Golden State has called Toronto, but like, the Warriors loved DeAnthony Melton for the exact type of things that Bruce Brown, when healthy does… Is he someone that now becomes on their radar because Melton’s hurt? Like, that’s a fit," Fischer said.
"He's at a number that's going to be really interesting in this trade market."@JakeLFischer weighs in on Bruce Brown's trade value with @BlakeMurphyODC and @mattbonner_15. #WeTheNorth
— Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) November 27, 2024
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The problem for the Warriors is that Brown is making considerably more than Melton this season, having initially signed a two-year, $45 million with the Indiana Pacers before being dealt to the Toronto Raptors in the Pascal Siakam trade last season.
The 2023 NBA champion is also yet to make his debut this season due to a knee injury, with Brown appearing in 67 games last season where he averaged 10.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 47.8% from the floor and 32.3% from 3-point range.
Golden State would need Melton and perhaps two more rotation players just to get to Brown's $23 million salary, not to mention potential draft assets that Toronto would want for their 6'4" guard. Combine that with Brown not being an ideal fit necessarily and the Warriors should probably steer clear.
As a career 33.7% 3-point shooter, Brown would leave too many spacing concerns in the starting lineup if Kerr also wants to persist with a Draymond Green/Trayce Jackson-Davis front court. Sure he fits well in terms of secondary ball-handling, playmaking and defense, but not for it to be worth giving up depth and possible draft assets for a player who's nothing more than a very good role player.