Brook Lopez trade: Brooklyn Nets seek two first-round picks for big man
The Brooklyn Nets (9-45) are seeking two first-round draft picks to part with centre Brook Lopez ahead of the Feb. 23 NBA Trade Deadline, per fresh reports. While the Nets haven't actively shopped the former All-Star big man, several reports indicate that Lopez can be acquired if a team is willing to part with draft picks.
With just nine victories, the Nets have the worst record in pro basketball and are expected to hit the reset button at the end of the 2016-17 season. Since they will surrender a likely top-3 draft pick to the Boston Celtics (35-19), the Nets are reportedly shopping for draft picks with the intention to retool the roster ahead of next season. The Nets will swap first-round picks with Boston, currently the second-seed in the East. In such a scenario, Brooklyn will select late in the first-round instead of earning a lottery selection.
According to ESPN's Mark Stein, the Nets aren't willing to back down from their asking price for Lopez, who is averaging a career-high tally of 20.5 points and 5.3 rebounds this season. "The Nets, as ESPN.com reported in late December, continue to demand two first-round draft picks if they are to part with centre Brook Lopez before the deadline."
Brook Lopez trade: Teams no longer worried about injury history
In the past, general managers would have hesitated to surrender lottery picks for Lopez due to the big man's injury history. However, Lopez has avoided major injuries since his career-threatening foot injury in 2013-14. Lopez played 72 games in 2014-15 and followed it up with another 73 games last season, proving that he's physically and mentally equipped to survive grind of an 82-game NBA season. This season, too, Lopez has missed only five of Brooklyn's 54 games.
Last Tuesday, Lopez addressed the trade buzz that has followed him for most of his 9-year career in the league. “I’ve talked to (my agent). But it’s (trade chatter) something I’m used to by now. It wouldn’t be comfortable without it. I haven’t heard anything. I’m all right. If it were pressing or something was happening, I’d be aware. They’re going to make their decision, but I would hope that I’d be informed, and I have the confidence they would inform me if they were thinking (of doing) something or something was going down," Lopez said after Brooklyn's 111-107 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, via New York Post.
According to Basketball Insiders, a potential Brook Lopez trade could benefit teams that are looking for a long-term solution at the centre position. "Lopez is currently under contract through next season. This season, he is earning roughly US$21.1 million (AU$27.5 million) and will earn roughly US$22.6 million (AU$29.6 million) next season. Unlike a player like Blake Griffin, who last year was rumoured to be available in trade discussions since he can become an unrestricted free agent after this season, Lopez has another year under contract.
"This makes him a bit more valuable in trade discussions since teams won’t balk at the idea of trading significant assets for what could amount to a two-to-three-month rental," the report added while arguing that Brook Lopez has potentially more trade value than Los Angeles Clippers All-Star Blake Grififn. Will a team step forward and pull the trigger on a Brook Lopez trade? Would the Brooklyn Nets stick to their asking price? Stay tuned for the latest chatter surrounding the NBA Trade Deadline.
