Stein: Nets open to trading Brook Lopez?
The Brooklyn Nets are apparently listening to calls per the availability of center Brook Lopez, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein. In a Friday afternoon article, Stein drops some (un)surprising news about the Nets and their never-ending flirtation of trading Lopez.
Stein says:
But what’s happening behind the scenes is newsy, too. Some rival executives are increasingly convinced that the Nets are open to moving Lopez between now and the February deadline in the proverbial right deal.
Rumblings of Boston interest have been forcefully shot down by sources familiar with the Celtics’ thinking, but the situation bears monitoring — and not simply because the Celts could ultimately decide that a big in-season move is wisest in the event they can’t create as much cap space next summer as they once hoped.
Sources stressed to ESPN.com in recent days that they believe as it stands, the Nets are merely fielding calls and doing their due diligence. Listening to other teams, in other words, as opposed to shopping the former All-Star center.
The takeaways:
- First and foremost: listening is the key word here, not shopping.
- The Nets probably wouldn’t move Lopez until December at the very least since that’s when the newly signed free agents become trade-eligible.
- Speculation on my part: the Nets’ trade partner would have to be willing to move a center because finishing the season with just Anthony Bennett, Luis Scola, and Justin Hamilton going against the likes of Al Horford, Andre Drummond, and Hassan Whiteside seems worse than 12-70.
Truthfully, there was a part of me that didn’t even want to cover these fleeting, early season rumors. It physically pains me to post Lopez trade rumors in early November.
We don’t even have a new President yet.
As Lopez noted last winter:
Brook Lopez on trade rumors: "I've been on the block for about six-and-a-half-years."
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) January 17, 2015
This is the only feasible reaction left:
Buckle up, friends, your least favorite time of year arrived a little earlier than usual.
Godspeed, Brook.
