Could a Brook Lopez trade be in the Nuggets’ future? (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Brooklyn Nets recently tried, unsuccessfully, to deal center Brook Lopez, which led to the franchise putting the brakes on the whole trading him concept in total.
But when those wheels get back turning again — and they will — there will be no shortage of suitors, and the Nuggets are expected to be among them. They’ve already made one run at it, but were rebuffed along with everyone else by the Nets in favor of negotiations with Oklahoma City, and those talks got intense before breaking down.
But there remains plenty of time before the Feb. 19 trade deadline, and the Nuggets have a lot to offer if they want to gamble. The question is how much to put on the table to entice Brooklyn to get into serious talks. There are inherent risks: Lopez has a player option after this season, so there would have to be some sort of assurances from his representation that he wouldn’t just walk and leave the Nuggets lighter on assets and out one big-time center at year’s end.
Lopez’s status beyond this season is also the reason the offers Brooklyn receives will be good, but probably not great. Oklahoma City’s reported package included center Kendrick Perkins (expiring contract), Jeremy Lamb and Grant Jerrett, so you understand the level of caution other teams are taking in their trade approach here. Brooklyn closed trade conversations because of a collective shrug at the offers they were receiving. They hope trade deadline desperation improves the packages offered to them. Yet, Lopez can walk on any team at season’s end, and no franchise is going to give up too many valued assets with the risk it could be out everything by the time June hits.
For the Nuggets it could be an opportunity to unload center JaVale McGee’s contract, which is an expiring one next season. That’s also part of the problem. It’s not expiring this season. And for any team to take that on right now for a player the caliber of Lopez, there’s probably going to have to be a first-round pick involved and or/young player with sizeable upside included as well.
The benefit to the Nuggets is clear. Lopez, a 7-0 center that can be devastating on the block, would give them the chance to truly play inside-out basketball with confidence. In his seventh season out of Stanford, he is a traditional post scorer, and is polished. And though his points per game average has dipped to 15.2 this season from 20.7 a year ago, he’s playing a diminished role with the rise of Mason Plumlee as the starting center now in Brooklyn. Lopez’s Per 36 stats are still impressive — 20.6 points and 8.4 rebounds.
His presence would give the Nuggets the chance to really alter the way they’re playing and start chart a different course. There are injury concerns with Lopez, who has played in just 128 of a possible 288 games in his last four seasons, including this one. The Nuggets, and any other team has to weigh those risks as well. But all seeking his services seem sold that things on the injury front would at least be mostly fine, good enough to not let it snuff out any real interest in him.
The offers Brooklyn receives as the trade deadline nears will be interesting. The Nuggets must decide how badly they want to be part of the Lopez sweepstakes and how much is too much to offer.
Follow Chris Dempsey on Twitter @dempseypost or email him at cdempsey@denverpost.com
