On June 28, the Toronto Raptors exercised the team option in the contract of guard Bruce Brown for the 2024-25 season. That date was the deadline for the Raptors to make a decision on the future of Brown’s contract.

The Raptors opted to pick up the option, which means Brown will carry a $23 million cap hit in the coming season. The 27-year old signed his current deal last summer when he agreed to a two-year, $45 million agreement with the Indiana Pacers. The second year contained the option and made Brown’s contract very tradeable.

Indiana did end up trading Brown. He was moved to the Raptors in the deal that netted the Pacers Pascal Siakam, and Siakam has agreed to re-sign with the blue and gold this offseason. Three first-round draft picks and Jordan Nwora also went to Toronto.

Brown averaged 12.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game for the Pacers. His numbers and efficiency dipped on a worse Raptors team, but he still had a solid season. His expiring contract is an asset in trades, and Brown’s production makes him a potentially appealing player for contenders to acquire.

That all had to play a factor in the Raptors picking up Brown’s team option. When Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that Toronto was keeping the veteran guard, he put a note in his Tweet about a possible transaction.

“The Toronto Raptors are picking up the $23 million option on guard Bruce Brown’s contract, sources tell ESPN. Brown will be a valuable trade asset on an expiring contract for the Raptors,” Wojnarowski’s first tweet read. Then, he added more. “Brown’s agents Ty Sullivan and Steven Heumann of [Creative Arts Agency] negotiated the 2-year, $45M deal with Indiana before it landed in the Pascal Siakam trade. [Raptors] picking up option gets Brown deal’s full value and now it likely becomes part of a trade this summer or during season.”

The six-year pro won a title with the Denver Nuggets in 2022-23 and has proven to be a valuable NBA player. He can help a number of teams, including the Raptors, in the coming season. A trade certainly makes sense for a younger Toronto group, but that roster could be good enough to make a Play-In Tournament appearance in the coming season.

“I think Bruce prides himself on being a guy who is resourceful and can adjust to virtually any NBA situation,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of Brown last season. “He never complains, he just finds a way to get the job done. That has meant a lot to our team this year.”