Nuggets, Bruce Brown agree to a two-year deal

Malika Andrews: Bruce Brown has agreed to a 2-year, $13M+ deal with the Denver Nuggets, sources tell ESPN.
Source: Twitter @malika_andrews

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Ryan Blackburn @NBABlackburn
Updated Nuggets salary cap table:
Bruce Brown gets the taxpayer MLE + a player option, which isn’t surprising at all.
Davon Reed’s number is an estimate sourced from Spotrac.
Nuggets are now $10.9 mil over luxury tax line with potential to go higher at deadline using TPEs. pic.twitter.com/1qFEIoKrNF – 12:07 PM

Ryan Blackburn @NBABlackburn
NEW for @MileHighSports
After a…tepid…first day of free agency, the Denver Nuggets bounced back and added Bruce Brown, an absolutely perfect fit in the regular season and playoff rotation.
This is a home run.
milehighsports.com/denver-nuggets… – 11:56 AM Adam Mares @Adam_Mares
Gonna go live within the hour and talk Bruce Brown and updated Nuggets roster.
Click the 🔔 button to be reminded when it starts.
youtube.com/watch?v=hNPBXU… – 11:50 AM Gordon Gross @GMoneyNuggs
I like Bruce Brown. FWIW I don’t think the shooting improvement is real to that degree (he is not 40% arc guy yet) but his FT% shows he should be able to be league-average long term. Everything else is a really good fit. Good defender, hard cutter, on the rise. Really good add. – 10:48 AM Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Following year on Nets QO, Bruce Brown leaving for Nuggets nba.nbcsports.com/2022/07/01/fol… – 10:45 AM Gordon Gross @GMoneyNuggs
To recap, Denver’s FA needs:
– primary G / wing bench defender (and ball-handler with Monte gone)
– Another defensive wing behind KCP
– 15 mpg backup C
Denver got:
– Bruce Brown (one of the better options)
– Davon Reed (fits – a lot of faith but I get it)
– DAJ (uhh) – 10:45 AM TJ McBride @TJMcBrideNBA
Bruce Brown will give the Nuggets so much rotation flexibility.
Need defense with the starters? Bring in Brown early for MPJ & play Murray/KCP/Brown/AG/Jokic.
He also covers for Bones Hyland’s defensive struggles off the bench & fits well with that group. – 10:45 AM TJ McBride @TJMcBrideNBA
Nuggets depth chart:
Starters:
Jamal Murray
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Michael Porter Jr.
Aaron Gordon
Nikola Jokic
Bench:
Bones Hyland
Bruce Brown
Davon Reed
Zeke Nnaji
Jeff Green
Reserves:
Ish Smith
Christian Braun
Vlatko Cancar
Peyton Watson
Collin Gillespie
DeAndre Jordan – 10:43 AM TJ McBride @TJMcBrideNBA
Here is the updated Nuggets cap sheet with Bruce Brown’s two year deal worth $13.282M included.
Denver is at 15 roster spots and one two-way roster spot occupied. They have just one two-way slot left.
Denver is likely done.
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d… – 10:41 AM TJ McBride @TJMcBrideNBA
If Bruce Brown got the full tax-MLE, which he did based on @Malika Andrews’ reporting, then this is how the deal looks.
22-23: $6.479M
23-24: $6.803M*
2 years, $13.282M
Denver has 15 full roster spots including’s QO,’s rookie deal & yesterday’s signings.
*player option – 10:37 AM Michael Singer @msinger
Source: #Nuggets agree to 2-year, $13 million deal with Bruce Brown. The second year of the deal is a player option.
Brown bolsters an already improved Denver defense.
denverpost.com/2022/07/01/bru… – 10:36 AM Michael Singer @msinger
Feel better about the #Nuggets defensively now? KCP, Bruce Brown, Davon Reed, Christian Braun, Peyton Watson. Those are significant improvements. – 10:34 AM Harrison Wind @HarrisonWind
Bruce Brown is a hell of a get for Denver. Great all-around defender, really skilled off-ball mover. Shot it 40% from 3 last year. The final defensive-first piece the Nuggets needed to complete their bench. – 10:33 AM Austin Krell @NBAKrell
Bruce Brown said pic.twitter.com/KEHxksCCRi – 10:32 AM Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Bruce Brown is one of the best cutters in the game. Playing with the best passing big man in the game is *chef’s kiss* basketball stuff.
Plus, if Brown’s shooting from last year is real and scalable…whew boy. – 10:29 AM StatMuse @statmuse
The Nuggets are STACKED.
Jamal Murray
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Michael Porter Jr
Aaron Gordon
Nikola Jokic
Bench:
Ish Smith
Bones Hyland
Bruce Brown
Zeke Nnaji pic.twitter.com/R5Aoty4uH0 – 10:27 AM

Michael Singer @msinger
The #Nuggets have agreed on a 2-year, $13 million deal with Bruce Brown, league source tells @denverpost.
The second year is a player option, I’m told.
@Malika Andrews first. – 10:26 AM Malika Andrews @malika_andrews
Bruce Brown has agreed to a 2-year, $13M+ deal with the Denver Nuggets, sources tell ESPN. – 10:21 AM Yossi Gozlan @YossiGozlan
Top free agents still unsigned:
James Harden
Zach LaVine
Deandre Ayton
Miles Bridges
Collin Sexton
Jusuf Nurkic
T.J. Warren
Donte DiVincenzo
Mitchell Robinson
Otto Porter
Danilo Gallinari
Bruce Brown
Gary Payton II
Montrezl Harrell
Robin Lopez
Jalen Smith
Bryn Forbes
Jeremy Lamb – 9:17 PM Ira Winderman @IraHeatBeat
Best remaining FAs: James Harden, Deandre Ayton, Zach LaVine, Miles Bridges, Kevon Looney, Jusuf Nurkic, Bruce Brown, TJ Warren, Colin Sexton, Mitchell Robinson, Gary Payton, Otto Porter, M. Harrell, Andre Drummond, D. DiVencenzo, Caleb & Cody Martin. sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-h… – 9:16 PM Mark Deeks @MarkDeeksNBA
So who’s left that can meaningfully move a needle?
– Ayton
– LaVine
– Bridges
– Sexton
– Nurkic
– Warren
– DDV
– Looney
– Rubio (injured)
– Lamb
– Ibaka
– Thomas Bryant
– Bruce Brown
– Harrell
– Jalen Smith
– Sato (probably Barca bound)
– The Martins
– …Otto? – 8:46 PM Ryan McDonald @ryanwmcdonald
Gary Harris? Delon Wright? Derrick Jones Jr.? A couple others who might be out of the Jazz’s price range like Bruce Brown? Kyle Anderson? Otto Porter Jr.? – 7:27 PM TJ McBride @TJMcBrideNBA
Tax-MLE targets left that I like for the Nuggets:
Donte Divincenzo
Bruce Brown
Delon Wright
Gary Harris – 7:23 PM Ryan Blackburn @NBABlackburn
Players the Nuggets could target that are still available and worth the taxpayer MLE (or more):
Delon Wright
Bruce Brown
Gary Payton II
Caleb Martin
Cody Martin
Derrick Jones Jr.
Gary Harris
Donte DiVincenzo
Target list is drying up. – 7:16 PM

More on this storyline

Tim Reynolds: There was a belief – and it’s a reasonable one – that Bruce Brown could have made more than $6.5 million next season. So why Denver? “Fit was the priority,” source said. @Malika Andrews first on the signing. -via Twitter @ByTimReynolds / July 1, 2022 Jake Fischer: Gary Payton II has drawn a strong offer from the Trail Blazers among other suitors, sources said. I’m told Portland has the richest contract, roughly $8M, out to the versatile defender, but still mutual interest in Payton’s return to Golden State. Bruce Brown another POR target. -via Twitter @JakeLFischer / June 30, 2022 On the Nets other two prominent free agents — Bruce Brown and Nic Claxton — Fischer said that “everyone” among Nets brass seems to be “motivated” to bring Brown back, but he is, again, he’s “not sure about Claxton.” -via NetsDaily / June 19, 2022