The Raptors exercised Brown's $23 million player option for the 2024-25 season Friday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
A key piece in the Nuggets' run to the NBA title in 2022-23, Brown struggled to take hold of a larger role in Indiana to begin the season and then with the Raptors, who acquired him from the Pacers in January. Following the trade to Toronto, Brown appeared in 34 games and averaged 9.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.6 three-pointers in 26.1 minutes per contest. Despite his underwhelming production in Toronto, the Raptors still saw enough value in Brown's defensive versatility to retain him at a $23 million salary. If nothing else, the sizable expiring contract will make Brown a valuable trade piece in helping Toronto facilitate a potential deal during the upcoming season.