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Dec 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) dribbles the ball against Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez (8) during the first half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
The Brooklyn Nets reportedly have an asking price in mind pertaining to a potential Brook Lopez trade. With that being the case, where would Lopez fit if Brooklyn trades him?
Brook Lopez’s name has been in trade rumors plenty of times before. At this point, it’s no longer surprising to hear that Lopez is connected to trade rumors. With the Nets rebuilding, a player of Lopez’s age and value may not fit into the team’s long-term plan.
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While the Nets may not be actively shopping Lopez, interested teams are bound to call as we inch closer to the trade deadline. The Nets, according to ESPN, have set a high asking price in return for Lopez: two first round picks.
Lopez is undeniably a vital piece to the Nets’ organization. He’s Brooklyn’s best player, and their longest-tenured player. He’s a top center in the NBA. But even taking all of that into account, two first round picks is a rich asking price for a player who is only under contract through the 2017-2018 season.
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If the Nets field an offer of two first round picks, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Sean Marks and company pounce on the offer. After all, this is a franchise that is starved for draft picks, and Lopez is Brooklyn’s most valuable trade chip.
It will be interesting to see if the Nets get an offer consisting of two first rounders, and, if they can’t would the Nets take less? Would one first round pick plus a player be enough to deal Lopez? Only time will tell. But as we approach the deadline, here are a few teams which could benefit from Lopez’s services.
Jan 15, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) drives against Portland Trail Blazers center Mason Plumlee (24) during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Portland Trail Blazers
Before we begin, a quick disclaimer: teams with the most cap space are the Nuggets, Nets, 76ers, Jazz, Suns and Timberwolves. Of those teams, none make very much sense for Lopez in a trade. That means a team which would acquire Lopez would likely have to maneuver to create additional cap space. This makes finding logical suitors for Lopez a bit more difficult, but here are a few intriguing spots.
Lopez would make sense as an upgrade in Portland. The Trail Blazers were dealt a big blow when LaMarcus Aldridge departed, but Lopez can help. As of this writing, Portland sits at 16-23 on the season, which slots them with the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference.
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The Blazers have an abundance of talent in the backcourt. The front court is a bit of a different story. With all due respect to former Net Mason Plumlee, he is not Lopez.
Plumlee is averaging 11.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 55 percent from the field. Lopez, on the other hand, is averaging 20.1 points per game to go along with 5.1 rebounds per game. Lopez is shooting 46 percent from the field as a whole, but 36 percent from beyond the arc. After adding the three point shot to his repertoire, Lopez has expanded his offensive game, which was already his strong suit.
To facilitate the Kyle Korver to Cleveland trade, the Blazers acquired Cleveland’s 2017 first round pick last week. That trade resulted in Portland currently owning two first round picks in the 2017 draft.
While the Nets are targeting two first round picks, it seems unlikely that they would both come from the same draft. Portland, in theory, could trade one of its first round picks this year, plus a first round pick next year for Lopez. Those two picks, according to ESPN’s report, would satisfy the Nets’ asking price.
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Perhaps the more likely scenario, though, is one first round pick, plus a player. Portland has 7’1″ forward Meyers Leonard, who is just 24 years old. While Leonard’s stats aren’t anything spectacular at this points (5.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game), he would give the Nets a young option in the front court.
Of course, whenever the Blazers come up, so too will Allen Crabbe. The Nets signed Crabbe to a massive offer sheet this past offseason, but Portland, in an all-in move, matched the offer to retain Crabbe. When Portland matched the offer for Crabbe, it seemed unlikely that they’d have a .410 winning percentage come January.
The Nets have young talent in the backcourt, but they tried extremely hard to land Crabbe in the offseason. If the Nets had an opportunity to acquire him, it would certainly make for an interesting discussion within the Nets’ front office.
Nov 4, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) looks to pass the ball against Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) and forward Spencer Hawes (00) in the second quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Nicole Sweet-USA TODAY Sports
Charlotte Hornets
Taking a look at Charlotte’s roster, center is not the Hornets’ biggest need. But that doesn’t mean Lopez couldn’t help the Hornets attempt to take the next stop as a franchise.
The Hornets have big men Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky, as well as veteran Roy Hibbert. But Lopez would bring additional scoring to a Charlotte team that currently ranks 17th in the NBA with 105.2 points per game.
Zeller and Kaminsky are each averaging around 10 points per game — 10.7 and 10, respectively — while Lopez alone averages 20.1 points per game.
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Certainly, the Hornets have stars which the Nets currently don’t possess, such as Kemba Walker, who averages 23.1 points per game. Charlotte is Walker’s team. In Charlotte, Lopez may have to defer to Walker offensively.
If Lopez quickly meshed with the offense, he’d certainly be an upgrade offensively for the Hornets.
As for the draft picks, Charlotte has just one first round pick this year, and one next year as well. If Charlotte — or a team in a similar draft pick situation — wants to acquire Lopez, it would require willingness on Brooklyn’s part to be open to more creative offers.
Perhaps Brooklyn could be enticed by an offer of a 2017 first round pick, plus one of Charlotte’s young players. If Charlotte included one of their young front court pieces, Brooklyn could have a built in replacement for Lopez in the immediate aftermath of a trade.
Dec 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) attempts to shoot the ball against Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez (8) during the first half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Chicago Bulls
The Nets and Bulls as trade partners in this scenario is so intriguing, for multiple reasons.
The Bulls, at 19-19, need a shakeup. There has been talk surrounding Rajon Rondo lately. The Nets were reportedly interested in Rondo this past offseason, but nothing materialized. Would the Nets entertain the possibility of taking on Rondo? If Jeremy Lin was healthy and playing in a majority of the Nets’ games, this wouldn’t even be a discussion. Lin was signed to run the offense and be the point guard on a nightly basis.
But Lin has suffered two hamstring injuries and endured brief back soreness this season. He is currently out due to a hamstring strain. Still, though, Rondo doesn’t seem likely. The two sides could’ve worked something out in the offseason if their was realistic mutual interest.
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There are a few other reasons this would be an intriguing match in a trade. Let’s get the most obvious reason out of the way next. Of course, Brook Lopez’s brother, Robin, is currently on the Bulls.
If the Nets dealt Lopez to the Bulls, it’d be a family reunion for the Lopez brothers. Robin Lopez is averaging 28 minutes per game with Chicago this season, so if the Bulls were to acquire Brook Lopez, Robin would see his minutes decrease.
Chicago is averaging 101.8 points per game, which ranks 23rd in the NBA. Adding Brook Lopez would be an upgrade over Robin Lopez.
The Bulls have the potential for two first round draft picks this year. Chicago is set to get a first round pick from the Kings (via the Cavaliers) this year, but it is top 10 protected. Chicago currently owns their own first round picks in 2017 and 2018.
If the Bulls are willing to trade an unprotected first round pick plus a player for Lopez, that could help the Nets in their rebuild, while sending Lopez to a team trying to contend.
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