The Brooklyn Nets are in need of a change in course, so here’s how they can move on from former All-Star Brook Lopez.
The Brooklyn Nets are not in an admirable position. They aren’t a good team, they don’t have a franchise player under contract, and they don’t own their own pick until 2019. Let’s be frank, the Nets are a mess. They flew too close to the sun and got burned. The Nets can’t wait three years to start rebuilding, the process needs to start now. Dealing Brook Lopez is their best chance to right the ship.
In 2013 when Billy King made his all-in move acquiring Jason Terry, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce from the Boston Celtics, the motive was clear: Championship or bust. That was three years ago; safe to say things did not go according to plan.
Deron Williams left after a disastrous campaign in 14-15, Garnett was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves last season, and Paul Pierce is now with the Los Angeles Clippers after a one-year stint with the Washington Wizards. The starting five that was supposed to challenge LeBron James and the Miami Heat has been disassembled. Gone, never to return. The window of the Brooklyn Nets has slammed shut, with no imminent hope of reopening.
So what now? Because that’s the only thing that matters, the Nets took a shot and they missed.
If you haven’t read a lot of my stuff you’ll soon learn I’m an entertainment junky, I have an especially deep love for HBO’s The Wire. A character in the show named Omar once said, “Come at the King, you best not miss.” The Nets came for the King and they missed, wide left, to blaring disappointment from the large audience of NBA fans who wanted to see the then dominant Miami Heat dynasty fall.
The Nets don’t have any options, they need to acquire young talent, and they need to get involved in the coming drafts. So who can fetch a haul of any substance for them? Brook Lopez.
Joe Johnson has no value, Jarrett Jack is sidelined for the season, and the rest of their team is full of stop-gap players or younger guys they’d like to keep in house.
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With all that being said, dumping their one player of significant value isn’t an easy course of action, and shouldn’t be done without immense thought and preparation. Lopez is playing at a near All-Star level and should yield a substantial return.
With that being said, let’s take a look at a a few trade scenarios that could make sense for the Brooklyn Nets.
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