The Los Angeles Lakers could potentially target Brooklyn Nets big man Brook Lopez if he becomes available by February trade deadline.
Lopez, who has been sidelined most of the 2013-14 campaign due to a broken foot, will make his return this coming season with the Nets whose championship aspirations has been hit with the departure of Paul Pierce (Washington Wizards) and head coach Jason Kidd (Milwaukee Bucks) along with the regression of Deron Williams' game.
The Nets have spent millions of dollars in an ambitious attempt to form a championship caliber team. General manager Billy King, with the permission given by owner Mikhail Prokhorov, delivered a series of lucrative moves to acquire the best players available. But instead of turning into a legitimate title contender, the Nets struggled to get past the Eastern Conference playoffs the last two seasons.
According to Sheridan Hoops reporter Michael Scotto, change might be just around the corner for the Nets this year, especially with Prokhorov already gauging interest in the market for a potential sale of the franchise.
After a series of bold free-agency signing and trades, the Nets might be on the brink of pushing the restart button, a scenario that will definitely put some of their high-salary veterans on the trading block.
But for Scotto, the Nets' biggest trade asset won't be Williams, Joe Johnson or Kevin Garnett. Instead, it's the 26-year old Lopez, who averaged 18 points and 7.3 rebounds over his six-year career.
Here's an insight from Scotto:
"In recent years, there have been numerous trade rumors regarding Lopez's availability - most notably during trade talks for Dwight Howard. Does that mean King is willing to trade Lopez in the hopes of jump-starting a rebuilding process early? It's unlikely based on the expectations of ownership, but it is a scenario that could be explored nonetheless," Scotto stated in his Nets preview.
"It would be out of character for King if a deal wasn't made by the trade deadline. With that in mind, Lopez appears to be his most desirable trade asset."
While Lopez's availability on the trading front will heavily depend on the Nets' performance for the first three months of the season, there's nevertheless a very high possibility Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchack will make a gamble for the young big man.
There's no denying Lopez has been injury prone the last three seasons, but the skills-set the big man offers could change the Lakers' luck moving forward. With Kobe Bryant entering his last two seasons in the league, it would be ideal for the Lakers front-office to go all-in for Lopez, who seems to be a pretty good starting piece for a rebuilding franchise.
To get things done, the Lakers should send a combination of promising young talent and high draft picks to the Nets in exchange for Lopez. Julius Randle, who has shown promise at the power forward spot, could be an ideal trade chip for the Lakers, if they want to pursue a player like Lopez. The Lakers could also add a first-round pick (acquired from the Rockets) to sweeten up the deal.
