Here we go again.
!#$%^&*&^%$#@!
Not two weeks ago, we talked about the Denver Nuggets being interested in Brook Lopez. It was weird on the Nuggets’ part. Yours truly was incensed to an extent, wondering what the hell Denver was doing. Without context, it made little sense for the Nets, too. Who would the Nuggets give them? The only thing they should be after is salary-cap relief and/or first-rounders, since they don’t possess the rights to their own until 2019. If the Nuggets weren’t offering those assets, any deal would be pointless.
What’s that you say? They were offering that?
!@#$%^&**&^%$#@!
Per ESPN.com’s Marc Stein:
NBA trade rumble: ESPN sources say Brook Lopez offer from Denver that BKN rebuffed DID include first-round pick with JJ Hickson/JaVale McGee
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 2, 2015
Nuggets, I'm told, offered one of two picks recently scored from Cavs in Mozgov deal in addition to Hickson/McGee for Lopez. Nets declined
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 2, 2015
For the record, I still don’t like that deal for the Nuggets. They’re a team that runs and needs a defensive presence. Lopez is neither equipped to run nor does he play defense. Their mere involvement is equally infuriating for those who are fans of logic.
But the Nuggets have seemed hell-bent on being stupid for a while now. It started with them parting ways with George Karl and Masai Ujiri after a 57-win campaign in 2012-13 and has continued right on through to this season. So, whatever. Let them be weird. But this is just the package the Nets needed.
J.J. Hickson and JaVale McGee wouldn’t be offensive upgrades, but let’s be real: Would they have harmed the Nets’ immediate playoff hopes in any way? Probably not. The Nets are just a hair outside the East’s postseason picture. Normally I’m against teams fighting for eighth. It’s stupid. If you can get it, get it. But don’t go nuts—you know, by like refusing good trades. The Nets are truly unique, though. The Atlanta Hawks have the right to swap picks with them this summer, which they will absolutely do (stupid Joe Johnson trade). Sending them a lottery pick that could fall in the top 10 hurts more than sending them a bottom-16 pick. How much more? Not much, which is the point.
The Nets are going to be sending a valuable pick to Atlanta either way. They might as well secure themselves another one to use. Both McGee and Hickson come off the books after next season, so with Lopez likely to pick up his player option for 2015-16, this is basically the same shit, different players.
Of course, Lopez is an All-Star, and any first-rounder the Nets get won’t net them a star. If they have immediate aspirations and know Lopez is healthy, it behooves them to ride his contract out.
Still, you have to wonder why they wouldn’t show more interest in this trade—or other trades for that matter, according to the New York Post‘s Tim Bontemps:
Billy King indicated to @sarahkustok and @LennRobbins that Nets won't be making any trades before the All-Star Break.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) February 3, 2015
King made it clear he wanted to see how the next week-plus goes — Nets have six games in nine days before break — and assess at that point
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) February 3, 2015
Fair enough. Let it play out, Billy. See how it goes. Though, I’m pretty sure I know how this ends: with all of us waxing !@#$%^&**&^%$#@!@#$%^&*.
