The Brooklyn Nets currently have the worst record in the NBA. There’s no question they will be sellers at the trade deadline.
Even though they don’t have many assets, a few should generate decent interest on the market.
There’s Bojan Bogdanovic and Sean Kilpatrick as players we could see parting ways with the Nets to gain more draft picks. But if the franchise really wants to start a rebuild, then they would need to offload their biggest star. And that’s no other than center Brook Lopez. The Nets are asking for two first-round picks in exchange, but the prize isn’t as steep as it could’ve been considering Lopez’ status around the league.
Sure, Lopez has always been criticized due to his poor defense and rebounding skills. But he’s a versatile scorer, and one who could upgrade several contending teams. Here are three teams that should move quickly to acquire the veteran big man.
Portland Trail Blazers: The Trail Blazers have been a major disappointment this season. However, they remain right on the thick of the playoff race in the West. At 23-30, Portland is only one game behind the Denver Nuggets for the eighth playoff spot. And they’ve done this with literally no interior game. The franchise depends on what C.J. McCollum and Damian Lillard do every night, but Lopez would change that. His versatile skill set would be a welcome sight for a Trail Blazers team that’s missing inside scoring since LaMarcus Aldridge left almost two seasons ago. And even though Lopez isn’t a very good defender, he would also upgrade Portland on that end of the court.
Charlotte Hornets: The Hornets have big men Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky, as well as veteran Roy Hibbert. But Kaminsky might suit better as a power forward, so he’s out of the equation. And if we consider Zeller, Hibbert and Lopez, then the latter becomes a significant upgrade. Zeller and Hibbert could act as defensive replacements, while Lopez gives a Charlotte an interior presence to play the pick-and-roll with Kemba Walker. Seems like a win-win scenario for a Hornets team that’s battling for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Boston Celtics: Sure, the Celtics are in second place in the East and it seems they’re good enough as it is. But they need a dominant frontcourt presence to pair with Al Horford. Lopez has a few shortcomings defensively, but him and Horford would become a deadly duo. Not to mention that another scorer is always useful. Especially when you’re in the quest for the top seed in the Conference.