NBA Rumors: Latest Trade Buzz on Brook Lopez and More from Around the League
We are still over a month away from the NBA trade deadline, but teams around the Association are already in full-fledged wheeling-and-dealing mode.
The Dallas Mavericks got things started by acquiring All-Star Rajon Rondo and shifting the balance of power in the West. The chain reaction was sudden and noticeable. Houston added Corey Brewer and Josh Smith, although the latter came through waivers. Oklahoma City swung a deal for Dion Waiters that also included J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert joining LeBron in Cleveland. Memphis became the most recent team to add reinforcements, agreeing to a deal with Boston for Jeff Green.
Then, of course, there's Brandan Wright, who is making his journey through the entire NBA in one season.
We're still less than halfway through the regular season, and there is very little middle ground in the NBA. Teams are either adding assets for a playoff run or completely embracing the rebuilding process.
That should make for a very exciting five weeks.
The Brooklyn Nets are one of those few teams stuck in the middle. They are currently eighth in the East, but they are also 16-22, losers of six straight and without Deron Williams indefinitely. Are they buyers or sellers? Do they attempt to add pieces for a postseason run, or do they sell some of their bigger names for future assets?
It sounds as though the latter may be the team's intention. According to Alex Raskin of The Wall Street Journal, the Nets have been mulling over the idea of dealing center Brook Lopez:
"They might be motivated sellers, but the Nets still think Lopez could fetch valuable players in a trade, according to one league source.
The Nets, according to multiple sources, are willing to deal Lopez, but they are against taking on expensive or lengthy deals in order to do so.
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Lopez has been relegated to the bench due to the impressive play of Mason Plumlee, but that doesn't change what he brings to the table.
Although he doesn't rebound as well as a 7-footer should (65th among qualified players in rebounding percentage), he is a skilled offensive player who can score with his back to the basket or step away and knock down the mid-range jumper with consistency.
Detroit Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy recently praised the 26-year-old's skill set, via Newsday's Roderick Boone:
"To me, Brook's the same way he's always been. He is a great- shooting big guy. I mean, especially at his size, I don't know that there's many guys that have ever played in the league that shoot that jump shot as well as he does—jump shot, set shot, whatever you want to call it—and then he's a load in the low post, and he's really, really tough to play. He's so strong and he does a good job of getting down low and leveraging and using that crab dribble. And then defensively and on the boards, you have to deal with his size.
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Of course, there are drawbacks. Lopez has an extensive injury history, missing almost all of the 2011-12 and 2013-14 seasons, and he's owed nearly $17 million next year. Both factors may make it tough for the Nets to receive a sizable return, but considering Lopez's polished offensive game from the center position, there shouldn't be a shortage of suitors.
Wilson Chandler
The Denver Nuggets have won four straight games, but they seem to have accepted their fate in the extremely difficult West. They recently shipped Timofey Mozgov to Cleveland for two first-round picks, and Wilson Chandler may be the next player out the door.
NBA.com's David Aldridge has the rumor:
Chandler, 27, would be an attractive option for contenders needing some offensive help on the wing. He's an athletic small forward who can get to the rim, but he's also a threat from the outside, knocking down 2.0 threes per game at a decent 35.4 percent clip.
He often leaves a bit to be desired defensively (his on- and off-court splits aren't pretty), but he is holding opponents to a below-average 44.8 percent shooting from the field, per NBA.com, and has the length and athleticism to be effective on that end.
Throw in the fact he is guaranteed just $2 million next season, essentially making him a midseason rental if teams so desire, and the Nuggets should have little trouble moving him for more future pieces.
Austin Rivers
Austin Rivers was just dealt to the Celtics, as announced by the team, but he probably shouldn't start looking for permanent housing in Boston quite yet.
According to USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt, the third-year guard appears to be a candidate for the Los Angeles Clippers:
Rivers has yet to live up to his billing as the No. 10 overall pick in the 2012 draft, averaging just 6.9 points on 39.0 percent shooting thus far in his young career. However, he has shown the ability to score in spurts off the bench, he's still only 22 years old, and his development could receive a big boost working with his dad.
But while the idea of reuniting Austin with Doc is surely an intriguing one, ForumBlueandGold.com's Darius Soriano pointed out that an inefficient combo guard isn't exactly what the Clips need:
L.A. already has Chris Paul, Jordan Farmar, J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford, so unless Farmar is moved somewhere else, it's difficult to imagine Rivers making much of an impact.
