The Lakers spent their summer chasing Jonathan Kuminga, staying in near-constant contact with his camp as LeBron James’ exit reshaped the roster. Minnesota was the only real competition, and it didn’t have the bigger checkbook. Kuminga picked the Timberwolves anyway.That leaves Los Angeles searching for its next move, and a familiar name has resurfaced: Bruce Brown, the 2023 champion who once tried to sign with the Lakers before a front-office call sent him elsewhere. Nearly two months into free agency, Brown is still unsigned, and L.A. is reportedly back in the mix.
| Category | Details |
| Player | Bruce Brown |
| Current Team | Denver Nuggets (unsigned, 2026 free agency) |
| Rumored Team | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Contract Status | Unsigned free agent |
| Salary Cap Hit | — |
| Signing Likelihood | Speculative, per insider reporting |
| Latest Insider Update | Jake Fischer, Bleacher Report |
Lakers are looking to land Bruce Brown after missing out on Jonathan Kuminga opportunity
Jonathan Kuminga’s decision closed one door, but it didn’t end the Lakers’ search for roster depth. Brown, an eight-year veteran, nearly landed in Los Angeles once before. “I was going to the Lakers after the championship,” he said, describing a plan built around joining LeBron James and Anthony Davis in what was then a Western Conference Finals roster. Free agency moved fast, and that version of the deal never happened.
Bruce Brown. Image via: Getty Images
Brown instead built a résumé that includes a title with Denver in 2023 and a two-year, $45 million deal with Indiana in 2023 as well. He returned to the Nuggets last season and played all 82 games, and across his career has earned $63 million.
How would Bruce Brown landing help the Lakers?
Brown’s appeal is his range. At 6-foot-4, he can defend multiple positions, handle the ball, and space the floor, shooting a career-best 38.5% from three last season. For a Lakers team built around Luka Doncic, that kind of two-way flexibility would help when Doncic needs rest. Brown doesn’t need touches to be useful, and that fits a bench role better than a featured one.
What insiders are saying about the rumor
Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer named the Lakers as a real suitor. “I think he’s in the mix for the Lakers, a team that has had some interest in him for several years now,” Fischer said. Cleveland and Miami have also come up as possibilities, and Denver hasn’t been ruled out given Brown’s history there, though Fischer’s framing puts Los Angeles among the more serious options.Bruce Brown’s stats
| Season | Team | GP | MIN | PTS | FG% | 3PT% | FT% | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO |
| 2025-26 | Nuggets | 82 | 24.4 | 7.9 | 47.5 | 38.5 | 76.2 | 3.9 | 2.1 | 1 | 0.2 | 1.1 |
Brown’s stat line reads like a role player, not a max-level signing, which is exactly why his market has moved slowly. At 30, with declining scoring numbers since his Indiana contract, he’s being treated by most teams as a minimum-salary option rather than a multi-year investment. For the Lakers, that’s the appeal: a proven, championship-tested veteran who might not cost much to add.