Bruce Brown, Toronto Raptors
At one point during the offseason, it seemed almost a foregone conclusion that Bruce Brown was going to be traded. In the end, the Toronto Raptors decided to keep him on the roster heading into the start of the season. Sidelined due to injury to begin the year, Brown is now back and playing his way back into shape. As he continues to prove that he can remain healthy, he should be able to reemerge as a strong trade candidate heading into the deadline. In the final year of his contract, as a player that doesn't exactly fit the timeline of the Raptors, he deserves a fresh start via trade.
At 28 years old, Brown doesn't fit the current timeline of the Raptors. This is a team that remains 2-3 years away, at least, from being a legit playoff contender in the conference and as we've seen before, Brown deserves a shot to prove himself on a contending team. He was a big part of the Denver Nuggets' championship run a few years ago and it would be great to see him in a similar role during the second half of this season.
Jordan Clarkson, Utah Jazz
As the Utah Jazz continue to fade, this is a team that clearly has some big-picture questions to sort out. But if there's one player that clearly doesn't have a future with the team, it's Jordan Clarkson. A veteran offensive-minded wing, Clarkson deserves his shot to compete on a playoff team again. On a fair contract, Clarkson could emerge as a good acquisition for any team looking for offensive help off the bench. In the right role, there's reason to believe that Clarkson could be a quality pickup at the deadline.
Whether or not the right team will pursue him is the big question. Clarkson, at this point in his career, deserves a shot at experiencing the postseason again. And with the Jazz clearly headed in the opposite direction, this is a potential deal that would make sense for both sides. Clarkson would get his shot to play for a playoff team and the Jazz could add another asset as they look to figure out how to move forward at this point in their rebuild. Will this finally be the year where the Jazz trades Clarkson? Who knows. But there's no question that he should be moved.