Kobe Brown Could Make Clippers Regret Trading Him With Surprise Emergence

Amid the splashy trades the LA Clippers made at the trade deadline, Kobe Brown's departure understandably went under the radar. The third-year player was included in the trade that sent Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers and brought Bennedict Mathurin back. Due to his struggles as a Clipper, he was seen as a throw-in in the trade that wasn't expected to make an impact one way or another. Three weeks after the trade, however, Brown is making the Clippers reconsider their decision to trade him.

Kobe Brown Makes Immediate Impact Upon Getting Traded By the Clippers

The Pacers are tanking and have no interest in winning games this season. So, they are willing to give as many minutes and reps as possible to Brown. In five games with his new team, the 26-year-old forward has taken advantage of this opportunity.

Brown is averaging 10.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and an assist in 26.4 minutes per game as a Pacer. He is shooting 50% from the field and a whopping 57.1% from three, easily making this stretch the best of his career.

So much of Brown's success will depend on whether he can continue to make threes. As a Clipper, he was 33/123 (26.8%) from downtown, which was a big reason why he wasn't able to carve out a role for himself in the rotation.

When the Clippers drafted him at the end of the first round in the 2023 NBA Draft, there was hope that Brown would emerge as a three-and-D wing. He had shot 45.5% from three in his senior year in Missouri, but it was on low volume, and he was below 30% in each of the previous three seasons. His inability to make enough threes in the G League or the NBA suggested that his senior season was more of a fluke than a genuine improvement.

Brown is an all-around player, but he doesn't have any one skill that jumps off the screen. He is physical, he can pass, has solid finishing ability, and rebounds the ball. But he doesn't have the athletic or physical tools to be an elite defender, either. Since he is not a reliable shooter, either, it becomes difficult to justify giving him regular minutes.

This was at least the case for his Clippers tenure. Perhaps he can rediscover his form in Indiana and finally establish his NBA career. Not having the pressure to win could do wonders for Brown's development. At age 26, the former Mizzou standout may not have a ton of upside, but there is still a possibility that he could turn himself into a quality backup. If he can get himself to a point where the Clippers regret including him in the Zubac deal, it would be a massive win for Brown's future.