NBA free agency 2023: Bruce Brown, fresh off an NBA title with Nuggets, reportedly agrees to $45M deal with Pacers
Bruce Brown, a key contributor in the Denver Nuggets' 2023 championship team, has reportedly agreed to a two-year, $45 million deal with the Indiana Pacers, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
ESPN reporting with @malikaandrews: Free agent Bruce Brown has agreed on a two-year, $45M deal with the Indiana Pacers, his agents Ty Sullivan and Steven Heumann of @CAASports tell ESPN. Denver — limited in what it could pay — loses a key piece to its repeat hopes.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2023
The deal comes after Brown declined his $6.8 million player option earlier this month. Brown enjoyed a breakout season in Denver after he originally signed a two-year, $13.3 million contract with the Nuggets this past offseason. He averaged a career-high 11.5 points in 28.5 minutes per game last season. Brown also added 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
Brown also flourished in the postseason. In 20 games this spring, Brown averaged 12 points, four rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. And in the NBA Finals, he eclipsed double-digit points in four of the Nuggets' five games against the Miami Heat, including a 21-point performance in Game 2.
He emerged as a quality player off the bench for the Brooklyn Nets after he joined the team in a three-team trade in 2020 from the Detroit Pistons. Brown averaged 8.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and one steal per game during his two seasons for Brooklyn.
Brown continued his rise with the Nuggets, where he was one of three role players who thrived in Denver alongside stars Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray.
Now Brown will try to help elevate the Pacers with some championship experience.
