The past couple of years have been a whirlwind for Bruce Brown. In 2023, he helped the Nuggets win their first-ever NBA championship. Since then, he's played for the Pacers, Raptors, and most recently, the New Orleans Pelicans.
He arrived in Louisiana before the February deadline as part of the Brandon Ingram trade. Brown finished the season averaging 8.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game for the Pelicans in 23 contests (12 starts), shooting 41% from the field and 35.6% from three.
The 28-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and it's clear there's one team he wants to return to. Brown attended one of the Nuggets' first-round playoff games against the Clippers and said he misses playing in Denver. He also tweeted that he "misses" playing in the playoffs, something he hasn't experienced since his lone season in Colorado.
It's not surprising that Brown keeps dropping hints that he wants to play for the Nuggets again, considering that's where he had his best overall season. He averaged 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game, shooting 48.3% from the field and 35.8% from deep. The Nikola Jokic effect is real.
Bruce Brown keeps dropping hints he wants to return to Nuggets
On Thursday afternoon, Josh Kroenke announced that Denver agreed to a deal with David Adelman, making him the franchise's next head coach. How did Brown respond? By re-posting the Adelman announcement to his Instagram story.
David Griffin said he wanted New Orleans to re-sign Brown in free agency, but he was fired and replaced by Joe Dumars. On May 14, HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported that it's "unclear" how Dumars feels about Brown (and Kelly Olynyk).
Brown left Denver in the first place because he played his way out of the Nuggets' pay range, signing a two-year, $45 million deal with Indiana. His next contract will be significantly less than that. Denver's finances are complicated, but a reunion between the two could happen. The Nuggets haven't hired a new GM yet, but whoever it is will determine whether Brown will be one of their free-agent targets.
Will Dumars prioritize re-signing Brown in free agency? Or will he return to the Mile High City? If he has it his way, he'll be Jokic's teammate again next season.