The Brook Lopez Conundrum
The longest tenured and arguably the most talent player on the roster, Brook Lopez, is constantly in trade rumors and seems to be overlooked by the organization and sometimes the fan base. Yes, I realize Lopez is not close to an ideal rebounder and yes, his foot injuries are a concern. But, he is still 26 years old and when he has good games and gets starter minutes, the Nets win.
In the Nets’ three best wins of the season: December 3rd against the Spurs, on the road December 30th against the Bulls, and then this past Friday in D.C. against the Wizards, Brook Lopez averaged 23.6 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game.
The question is: What do the Nets do? Find a way to get Lopez the minutes and see if him and Mason Plumlee can coexist and carry the team, or trade Brook away to cut salary and/or get players that fit Hollins system?
The organization is determined to trade Lopez, but with Billy King pushing the buttons who knows if the Nets will actually benefit from trading away the former All-star. The rumors heard over the weekend of acquiring Kendrick Perkins and Jeremy Lamb from OKC or Lance Stephenson from the Hornets do not seem like enticing packages the Nets should really consider. The Nets rightfully backed away, for now. Trading Lopez won’t be easy with his contract and past injury problems, so the Nets will probably benefit more from having the big man on the court rather than trade him in a “salary-dump” in what will only further dishearten this fan base. That being said, If the right package comes along where the Nets can either get players for now or draft picks for the future, the Nets should be answering that call. But the likelihood of a deal like that coming around seem slim.
In my opinion, the only way the Nets are competing this year and turning things around are if Lopez can continue to improve and regain his past form, and if D-Will can get healthy and start playing some productive minutes. We all love and enjoy what Jarrett Jack and Mason Plumlee are doing and how they have been playing, but eventually D-Will and Lopez have to start to get healthy and play better in order for the Nets to reach their true potential. Even with the recent struggles this team has endured, I’m still in favor of keeping the team together until everyone is healthy and buying into the system.
It’s not the time to sell.