Brooklyn Nets: Should The Nets Re-Sign Brook Lopez?

Unsurprisingly, things have continued to go wrong for the Brooklyn Nets. Their 2014-15 season was disastrous, as new head coach Lionel Hollins failed to make any significant improvements with his roster. The team only managed to sneak into the playoffs in the Eastern Conference by the sheer fact that the East was poor, and that playoff hopeful teams were hampered by injuries to key personnel (Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers).

ALSO ON HOOPSHABIT: NBA Finals History: Ranking The Last 50 Champions

The team isn’t even afforded the chance to rebuild, as they won’t have their own first round draft pick until the 2019 NBA Draft, courtesy of the trades that brought Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett to the Nets. The latter two no longer play for Brooklyn.

This is the situation the Nets find themselves in: saddled with two monster contracts in Joe Johnson ($24.9 million next season) and Deron Williams ($43.3 million over the next two seasons), no first round draft picks, and no obvious young talent on the roster.

Now, their best player (arguably) is choosing to opt out of the final year of his contract in favor of becoming a free agent. Brook Lopez declared his intention two days ago, and the Nets will now have to decide whether they want to enter the Lopez bidding war.

On the surface, it’s clear that the Nets have no other solution but to convince Lopez to return. With no cap space and future draft picks, the Nets will struggle to improve their roster over the next few seasons. If the Nets were to lose Lopez, it would be nearly impossible to fill in the void left by his absence, considering his backup, Mason Plumlee, was just traded to the Portland Trail Blazers.

The question then shifts to whether the Nets should offer what Lopez is after, which is reportedly a max three-year, $60 million extension. The Nets have the advantage of owning Lopez’s Bird rights, which allows them to exceed the cap to re-sign Lopez and offer him more money.

Live Feed

Behind the Buck Pass

Signing Lopez to a max contract is not without its risks. Lopez’s right foot has undergone three surgeries in four seasons, which is always a concern for big men. If Lopez were to suffer another debilitating injury, the Nets would be in a deeper hole than the one they are currently in now.

The bright side of their current position is that Johnson’s contract will expire after this season, which will leave them with a ton of cap room to work with (if Lopez doesn’t re-sign). However, as the Dallas Mavericks have shown, acquiring cap room is just half the battle – the tougher half is convincing superstars to sign.

There are some that don’t think Lopez is worth a max contract. His offensive skillset is limited, and he isn’t known for his defensive abilities. Any team that acquires Lopez will have to pair him alongside a rim protector to hide his defensive deficiencies. In a league that is trending towards a more perimeter-oriented offense, Lopez’s post-scoring could be considered a relic of the past. There are also concerns with his rebounding numbers, as averaging 7.3 rebounds per game for a big man is poor.

But, there will be teams that are willing to offer Lopez max money, especially with the cap rising the year after. And with the way the Nets’ future looks to pan out, they have no other choice but to participate in the Lopez sweepstakes.

Next: 5 Potential Partners For A DeMarcus Cousins Trade

More from Hoops Habit

• The 5 most dominant NBA players who never won a championship
• 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
• Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
• Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
• Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout