NBA Trade Rumors: Lakers Turn Down Raptors Ask For Bruce Brown

LeBron James is starting to put the pressure on — he wants the Los Angeles Lakers to be "aggressive" in their approach at the trade deadline this week. And th team's latest injury isn't helping matters. 

Lakers say Jarred Vanderbilt has been diagnosed with a right mid-foot sprain and will be re-evaluated in approximately 3 to 4 weeks.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 5, 2024

With Vanderbilt out for at least a month with a mid-foot sprain, the Lakers will be looking for some help on the perimeter (something they were already targeting at the deadline).  

According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, LeBron's tactic of pressuring the team to make moves has worked in the past, but adds that it actually works against them at this point, as the opposing GMs around the league know that the LA front office has that pressure on them from LeBron, and can turn the screws on the Lakers to give up just that little bit more to accomplish a trade.

McMenamin reported on Sportsnet Radio Monday morning, though, that the Lakers have walked away from a potential Bruce Brown trade with the Toronto Raptors.

The asking price was too steep from Toronto. They were talking about D'Angelo Russell and a first-round pick. Is Bruce Brown really that much better than D'Angelo Russell right now?

Yes, the clock is ticking on 39-year-old LeBron, and the Lakers want to capitalize on another title opportunity while he's still playing, but McMenamin says if they can't get something significant done now, they'll have a better chance on Draft Night in June, when they'll have three first-round draft picks they can trade at that point.  

"You're probably better off ... trying to find something then, than force something now."

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