NBA

Bruce Brown can ‘fit anywhere’ as Knicks trade rumors swirl: ex-Nuggets teammates

As the Knicks survey their possible trade-deadline additions, they surely are projecting how each target could fit onto the team.

Fitting in is a strong suit of Bruce Brown’s, according to a few of his former teammates.

“I think he can fit any team,” Nuggets guard Christian Braun said Thursday before the Knicks’ 122-84 blowout win at the Garden.

“Coach [Michael Malone] called him the Swiss Army knife — I think that’s spot-on,” star Nuggets guard Jamal Murray said. “He can bring it up. He can get to the rim. He can shoot it enough. He can defend their best player. Run in transition.

“Put him where you [need] him kind of guy.”

Such is the scouting report for Brown, an undersized but overly active, do-everything guard/forward.

The former Nugget and Net has been linked the Knicks in trade talks — talks that he is embracing, nearly campaigning to join coach Tom Thibodeau’s squad last week.

Raptors forward Bruce Brown (11) drives to the basket against New York Knicks guard Quentin Grimes
Raptors forward Bruce Brown (11) drives to the basket against Knicks guard Quentin Grimes. AP

After winning the title last year with Denver — and performing well in the playoffs, including a 21-point explosion in the Game 4 win over the Heat — Brown left for the Pacers and a sizable, two-year, $45 million pact.

He played his gritty game about up to expectations for 33 games before being shipped to Toronto in the Pascal Siakam swap.

The Raptors, 12 games under .500, could offload a valuable player who is averaging 11.9 points on 48.1 percent shooting (32.4 percent from deep) and grabbing 4.6 rebounds with 2.9 assists per game.

Brown, a stout defender and energetic presence, should be in demand — and seems ready to again join a contender.

“I am a dog,” Brown told The Post’s Jared Schwartz on Saturday before a loss to the Knicks. “I play extremely hard on both ends of the floor. I can do just about whatever [Thibodeau] needs me to do.”

Brown said he had conversations with the Knicks before choosing the Pacers’ larger offer.

The Knicks surely have interest — Brown’s grimy game would very much align with Thibodeau’s desired game — though the fit might not be perfect.

Raptors forward Bruce Brown (11) scores while Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (12) looks on
Raptors forward Bruce Brown (11) scores while Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (12) looks on. AP

Brown is more of a bulldog than a traditional point guard. The 27-year-old is just 6-foot-4, not a terrific ball-handler and not a 3-point assassin. The Knicks could use a second-unit ball-handler and scoring threat after including Immanuel Quickley in the OG Anunoby trade.

If not Brown, names such as the Trail Blazers’ Malcolm Brogdon, the Pistons’ Alec Burks or the Jazz’s Jordan Clarkson might make sense.

What Brown does bring is toughness, a rugged defender, great cutter and rebounder who plays bigger than his size.

Could he fill in behind Jalen Brunson as a backup point guard capable of providing a spark and logging valuable playoff minutes?

“He can do just a little bit of everything,” Murray said.

“He can do all those things at a high level,” said Braun, who has pretty much replaced Brown as Denver’s sixth man. “He’s a good player when it comes to the playoffs. He fits anywhere.”