The Brooklyn Nets are facing a season full of uncertainty with Russian owner Mikhail Prokhorov now considering in selling the NBA franchise if a lucrative deal is presented to him.
In his 2014-15 NBA season preview, Sheridan Hoops writer Michael Scotto talked about different scenarios for the Nets this coming season, including the possibility of pushing the restart button, especially if the team doesn't show any promise of becoming a legitimate title contender.
According to the analyst, Nets are on a brink of unloading their big contracts after pulling a series of huge offseason coups for the past two seasons. Apparently, the Nets ownership are beginning to have a conservative stance in shelling away more money after their multi-million starting team (Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Brook Lopez) achieved mediocre goal last season.
With this development, Scotto believed it won't be surprising to see the Nets trading some of these big contracts into assets (in the form of young players or draft picks) which they could use to rebuild for the future.
Lopez Projected Trade Bait for Nets
According to Scotto, center Brook Lopez is the most valuable trade asset the Nets posses right now. Although Williams and Johnson are still heavy-producing veterans, their age and huge paycheck made them barely tradable commodities.
As for the 26-year old Lopez, his status as a promising center with still years ahead of him in terms of development makes him an ideal trade bait despite his struggles to stay healthy these past three seasons.
Of course, Lopez will have a chance to really play to his strength under head coach Lionel Hollins, whose pick-and-roll system will benefit both Lopez and Williams this season.
Then again, Sotto thinks trading Lopez is not a far-fetched idea at all, even more if the team's general manager is Billy King, who is notorious of pulling off big deals on the trading front.
"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."
The Nets are sure to demand an enticing package for Lopez, if they ever decide to shop their center. High draft picks and young talents could be asked by the Nets front office to suffice Lopez’s departure.
In short, the big could head into a team with a better chance of hitting the lottery in June. Teams like the Utah Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers, and Milwaukee Bucks are candidates. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns, which have loads of first-round picks, could also make a run for Lopez since both teams badly need an All-Star caliber center.
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