Brooklyn Nets: 2016-17 End Of Season Roundtable
4. Do the Nets finally trade Brook Lopez before the start of the 2017-18 season?
PW: It’s possible, but I’d expect him to still be around on opening night unless Sean Marks gets an offer he can’t refuse (i.e., a pick in the top 10 or a future first-rounder that has lottery potential).
Given the salary cap’s expected flattening over the next few seasons, expiring contracts will take on some added value again and Lopez will give some team an opportunity to clear more than $22.6 million off the books at the end of 2017-18, either Brooklyn or someone else.
If the question was “Does Brook Lopez finish 2017-18 with the Nets?”, I’d almost certainly say no.
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JS: My gut says yes. In actuality it depends on what the market bears. If the market provides for the Nets moving into the 2017 draft lottery or moving into the mid-teens and adding a second future first, then the Nets cannot pass on that.
Lopez is 29 and this roster is unlikely to be playoff-ready for another couple of years. Trading him for younger assets that can grow with LeVert, Hollis-Jefferson and the rest of the kids makes a ton of sense. Lopez and Lin combine to make $32 million and perhaps more in 2018.
Say you add a big free agent, like (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope), for $20 million per. How do you build a winner this way? Exhausting the cap on mid-tier talent will not breed a contender; trading Lopez to grow a field of kids could.
On the other hand, the DeMarcus Cousins, Serge Ibaka and Nerlens Noel trades and Jahlil Okafor non-trade, reflect one common factor: the market for bigs is awful. If the Nets are not offered anything of value, then dealing Lopez makes no sense.
BF: At one point I thought maybe, but that died down. I get the sense that at least for now, he’s here to stay. The Nets will do their due diligence like anyone would, but I believe they only move him if an offer really wows them.
Brook is on an expiring deal, so I’m not sure what the likelihood is in that.
JO: Before the (Milos) Teodosic rumors, I would’ve said yes. For the sake of flexibility, they’ll probably have to choose between Brook and Jeremy Lin next summer. I’m beginning to think they keep Brook and bring in a potential Lin replacement.
JG: I was ready for the Nets to finally move on from Brook Lopez, but I have changed my stance after seeing him successfully adding a three-point shot to his arsenal this year.
Although I don’t think he will ever be the centerpiece of a championship contender, Lopez is still a consistent 20-point scorer in this league (something this roster will need) and proved that his evolved skill set works in Kenny Atkinson’s offense.
DB: For most of the season, I was thinking yes. He seemed so out of place early on. Was it because Jeremy Lin was out or was it just another adjustment period for Brook?
Unless we get a crazy deal that would break the internet, I strongly feel he’ll be enjoying the heights of Brooklyn through the summer.