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Latest On Brook Lopez Trade Talks

January 16th, 2015 at 2:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

2:01pm: The Nets want to build more consensus within their organization before they move ahead with any trade, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com (All Twitter links). Youngmisuk suggests a split still exists over Stephenson but says Lopez talks are liable to restart at any point.

1:07pm: The Nets still want to move Lopez soon, and the Heat remain part of the talks surrounding the center, as Wojnarowski reveals in a full story.

12:51pm: Brooklyn isn’t prepared to simply dump salary, according to TNT’s David Aldridge (on Twitter). The two-team proposal involving the Thunder would have been essentially a salary dump, as Broussard wrote earlier (below).

12:34pm: The Nets are “standing pat” on Lopez discussions for now, a Nets source tells Wojnarowski, saying that there’s nothing on the market that they find appealing (Twitter links).

12:26pm: The Rockets are also looking into Lopez, Wojnarowski tweets.

10:36am: The Thunder and the Nets are making progress on their two-team talks, Wojnarowski reports (on Twitter). Lamb would go along with Perkins to Brooklyn for Lopez, Wojnarowski says, though Oklahoma City would need to add yet more salary to make it work, since the Thunder are above the tax line and can’t take in more than 125% plus $100K of the salary they give up.

9:49am: It was unwillingness on the part of the Nets to take on Stephenson that has Brooklyn considering a two-way deal with the Thunder instead of the three-teamer with the Hornets and Thunder, Wojnarowski tweets.

9:32am: The Nets continue to talk to the Thunder about a swap involving Lopez and Perkins in what would be a virtual “salary dump” for Brooklyn, according to Broussard (Twitter links).

9:05am: It was indeed the Nets who pulled away from the talks with Charlotte and Oklahoma City, but it’s still likely Brooklyn will trade Lopez, Bonnell writes in a full story.

8:44am: The potential deal between the Thunder, Hornets and Nets is “dead” for the time being, a source tells Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter). Reed Wallach of NetsDaily hears there are a lot of deals in play for the Nets (Twitter link).

FRIDAY, 8:00am: The Nets are trying to change some of the players involved in talks with the Thunder and Hornets as Brooklyn continues to resist closing on a deal, Broussard tweets. The rumors have upset Lopez, as a friend of Lopez tells Robert Windrem of Nets Daily (Twitter link). The NetsDaily scribe writes in a full story that league sources say Stephenson’s absence from the Hornets’ lineup has been because of a poor relationship with coach Steve Clifford, and not a groin injury as the team claims.

THURSDAY, 11:57pm: It’d be a surprise if the Nets, Thunder and Hornets don’t come to a deal that sends Brook Lopez to Oklahoma City, numerous league sources tell Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link), who hears from one source who says such a trade is likely to happen, as Bonnell writes in a full story. The Thunder and Hornets have reportedly agreed to a framework of a trade that would involve Lopez going to the Thunder, Lance Stephenson and Kendrick Perkins going to the Nets, and Jarrett Jack and Jeremy Lamb going to the Hornets. Charlotte would also receive Grant Jerrett in that arrangement, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com, though the Nets appear to be holding out as other teams pursue Lopez.

The Nuggets have spoken about a package involving JaVale McGee, but the Nets aren’t high on Denver’s injury-prone big man, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The Heat came forward with a proposal involving Chris Andersen, Norris Cole and Josh McRoberts, sources tell Wojnarowski. The Hornets would like to acquire Lopez for themselves, but Brooklyn prefers to send him to the Western Conference, Wojnarowski also hears. The Lakers are also reportedly interested in Lopez.

The Nets were reluctant to take on Stephenson last month, and while the front office remains cautious about him, as other teams around the league believe, Brooklyn’s ownership supports the idea of trading for him, as Wojnarowski details. Brooklyn’s talks involving Deron Williams haven’t found much footing, according to Wojnarowski. The team would like to rid itself of two of Lopez, Williams and Joe Johnson by the trade deadline, and the Nets have indicated to other teams that they want to make a Lopez deal by the weekend.

The Hornets have been “desperate” to trade Stephenson, according to Wojnarowski, though a month ago it appeared Charlotte had put an end to talks, at least temporarily. Still, there’s a strong belief that the shooting guard, a Brooklyn native, will end up back in his hometown, a move he’s hoped to make at some point, tweets Shams Charania of RealGM.

Nets Looking To Deal Brook Lopez

January 15th, 2015 at 10:59pm CST by Eddie Scarito

10:59pm: The Nets have major concerns about acquiring Stephenson, and fear that bringing him home to New York will make his personal issues even worse, Mannix reports (Twitter link)..

10:54pm: The Thunder have joined the Hornets in agreeing to the framework of a trade, but the Nets are still undecided, Broussard tweets.

10:04pm: The proposed three team deal would include Perkins heading to the Nets, Sam Amick of USA Today reports.

9:33pm: Brooklyn’s most serious conversations regarding Lopez are with Western Conference teams, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). The Lakers are interested in Lopez, but likely lack the assets to get a deal done, Wojnarowski adds.

9:23pm: Charlotte is enthusiastic about getting a deal done, but Brooklyn and Oklahoma City aren’t ready to pull the trigger yet, Broussard tweets. According to Broussard’s source, the discussions are “just talk” right now.

8:49pm: The Nets are discussing a three-way trade that would send Lopez to the Thunder, Stephenson to Brooklyn, and Jeremy Lamb and Jarrett Jack to the Hornets, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). It would take more outgoing salary for Oklahoma City to make this deal work under the salary cap, with Lopez earning approximately $15.7MM this season, and Lamb’s salary only $2.2MM. Kendrick Perkins‘ expiring contract worth $9,654,342 would seem a likely candidate to be included in any deal, though that’s merely my speculation. Such a light return for a player who was deemed the missing piece when the Hornets signed him this past offseason would signal that Charlotte is in a hurry to offload Stephenson, and the chemistry issues he reportedly brings with him.

6:24pm: The Nuggets are among the teams expressing the most interest in acquiring Lopez, Chris Mannix of SI.com reports (Twitter link).

6:15pm: Brooklyn is talking to several teams, but is specifically seeking information on Lance Stephenson of the Hornets, Wojnarowski tweets.

THURSDAY, 6:10pm: The Nets have accelerated trade discussions for Lopez with the intention of moving him soon, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY, 5:02pm: The Nets are continuing to discuss potential deals involving center Brook Lopez with other teams, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com reports (Twitter link). The Heat have recently emerged as suitors, and according to Youngmisuk, have shown strong interest in acquiring the big man from Brooklyn. Any deal involving Lopez would be complicated by his salary, which is $15,719,062 this season, and he owns a player option for 2015/16 for $16,744,218. There have been conflicting reports as to whether or not the 26-year-old will opt in next season, which could impact the trade market for the seven-footer.

Brooklyn has reportedly discussed dealing Lopez to the Thunder for Kendrick Perkins (and his expiring contract), Perry Jones, and Lance Thomas (prior to him being dealt to the Knicks), though the Nets ultimately decided they didn’t like that return for their big man. The Celtics also reportedly checked in with the Nets regarding Lopez, but this was prior to the trade that sent Rajon Rondo to Dallas, and with Boston now in full rebuilding mode, it isn’t clear if the Celtics would still be interested in acquiring the oft-injured center.

Lopez has a wealth of talent, and he can be a dominant scorer when healthy. But injuries have cut short two of his previous three seasons, and big men don’t tend to age well in today’s NBA, which makes any deal for Lopez a gamble. His numbers are certainly impressive though. In 370 career games, Lopez has averaged 17.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.7 blocks. His slash line is .510/.091/.791.

Western Notes: Bullock, Rivers, Lopez

January 15th, 2015 at 10:14pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Suns GM Ryan McDonough is excited about adding Reggie Bullock to the team’s roster because of the player’s high basketball IQ, ability to play either wing spot, and for his defensive abilities, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic writes. “We’ve really liked his ability to shoot the ball with his size on the perimeter and his ability to defend NBA athletes on the wing with size,” McDonough said. “We’re confident that, with more time and repetitions, that he has the potential to be an elite shooter at the NBA level.” Phoenix had its eye on Bullock heading into the 2013 NBA draft, but the Clippers snagged him four picks ahead of the Suns wound up with Archie Goodwin as a result, Coro notes.

Here’s the latest out of the West:

With Austin Rivers now a member of the Clippers, Rowan Kavner of NBA.com takes a look at what the player brings to Los Angeles. Kavner opines that Rivers will add youth, as well as some needed scoring and playmaking ability off of the bench for the Clippers.
The Suns have a glut of point guards on the roster, as well as a number of players with maturity issues, a combination that may lead to the team being active on the trade market prior to February’s deadline, Dan Bickley of The Arizona Republic writes.
With the rumors of Brook Lopez potentially coming to the Thunder heating up, Jon Hamm of The Oklahoman looks at how the deal could benefit Oklahoma City, as well as the risks involved. Hamm notes that Kendrick Perkins would likely have to be included in any deal for salary matching purposes. Plus, the team could end up missing Perkins’ defense, and making the trade brings team chemistry risks with it as well.

And-Ones: Waiters, Lakers, Lopez, Thunder

January 5th, 2015 at 10:57pm CST by Zachary Links

The Thunder landed Dion Waiters earlier tonight, but the Lakers previously made a run at him, Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com tweets. However, the Cavs weren’t just looking for a straight salary dump and Shumpert is more valuable than Robert Sacre, who the Lakers would have included. Here’s more from around the Association..

The Nets and Thunder recently discussed a deal that would have involved Brook Lopez, Kendrick Perkins (and his expiring contract), Perry Jones, and Lance Thomas, but the Nets decided to stand pat as they liked what they were seeing, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com.
The Rajon Rondo deal is looking pretty good for the Mavericks so far, writes Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram. Center Tyson Chandler and coach Rick Carlisle are among those over the moon with what Rondo has done in Dallas. The Mavs have won six of their last eight games, including their last five.
Sometimes, the best move is standing pat. The Warriors held on to budding star Klay Thompson rather than using him to get Kevin Love and that looks like a smart decision right now, as Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press writes. Many were surprised at the Warriors’ decision, but it’s one that had the full support of coach Steve Kerr.”For me as a new coach, what I saw was maybe the best backcourt in the NBA and a chance to keep the group together,” Kerr said. “And that’s pretty powerful, especially when you know you’re already pretty good.”
Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders won’t rush to judge Bucks center Larry Sanders. While speculation flies about his situation, Koutroupis notes that Sanders has worked hard at his craft and has even independently trained in the offseason to work on some lagging aspects of his game. Earlier tonight, agent Happy Walters denied the report indicating that his client wants to walk away from basketball, so it will be very interesting to hear from Sanders himself.

Celtics Notes: Green, Smart, Sullinger

December 28th, 2014 at 8:54am CST by ChrisCrouse

Jeff Green has been a bright spot for the 10-18 Celtics, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSSNE.com. Earlier in the week, Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors looked at Green as a trade candidate. Myron notes that there are no shortage of teams looking for a wing player and he looks at what it may take to make Los Angeles a potential destination for the 28-year-old small forward. Green is having one of his best seasons as a pro, averaging 18.9 points per game while playing 33.6 minutes per game.

Here’s more from Boston:

The trade of Rajon Rondo would seem to open up playing time for Marcus Smart, but the erratic play of the rookie guard has not led him to see much more court time, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. The depth at the point guard position has made it a little too easy for coach Brad Stevens to call on other players in Smart’s place like new addition Jameer Nelson and second-year guard Phil Pressey. Forsberg notes that in the five games since Rondo was traded away, Smart is averaging 4.4 PPG in 23.4 MPG.
The Celtics should do their homework on Brook Lopez of the Nets, opines Chris Mannix of SI.com. Although the Celtics have created a logjam in the front court after their acquisition of Brandan Wright, no player on the team has the upside of Lopez. The Nets have made the 26-year-old center available as he makes his return to the court from a back injury that caused him to take a reduced role in recent games. The Celtics and Nets reportedly discussed Lopez prior to the Rajon Rondo trade.
Power forward Jared Sullinger believes the Celtics need to play with a different mindset, writes Blakely in a separate piece. “Teams are just coming out smashing us in the mouth,” Sullinger said. “We just have to be prepared for that. People feel like we’re sweet, we’re soft. We just have to play tougher.” The third-year big man has seven double-doubles on the season, tops on the team after the departure of Rondo, who had nine.

Atlantic Notes: Lopez, Williams, Celtics, Garnett

December 27th, 2014 at 10:50am CST by Chuck Myron

The Nets and Celtics discussed Brook Lopez and Deron Williams when the teams spoke about Rajon Rondo prior to the trade that sent Rondo to the Mavs, league sources tell NetsDaily’s Robert Windrem. The Nets have been open to trading Lopez and Williams, as well as Joe Johnson, and some reports have indicated that they’re actively seeking trades for the trio, though that matter is unclear, and it’s unknown whether the Celtics had or maintain interest in either Lopez or Williams. While we wait to see how Boston and Brooklyn try to shape themselves back into contenders, there’s more on those teams amid the latest from the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics and Nets talked about Mirza Teletovic and “some of the younger pieces” that Brooklyn has, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com, who spoke on CSNNE’s Celtics Pregame Live (video link). However, Windrem hears that wasn’t the case, as he notes in the same piece amid his transcription of Mannix’s remarks.
Kevin Garnett has been telling people this season is his last in the NBA, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald hears, but they haven’t necessarily believed him, and one unidentified person tells Bulpett that Garnett is having more fun playing than he has in a while. The 20th-year vet, whose contract expires at season’s end, said publicly this week that he’s not sure about whether he’ll play next season, Bulpett notes.
Landing Jahlil Okafor in the 2015 draft would help the Knicks attract free agents, as Marc Berman of the New York Post opines amid a look at New York’s woes. The Knicks are just a half-game back of the top slot in the draft lottery, our Reverse Standings show. Okafor, a center, tops the prospect rankings of Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, Chad Ford of ESPN.com and our own Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors.

Nets Rumors: Johnson, Lopez, Williams

December 24th, 2014 at 9:40am CST by Chuck Myron

Brooklyn appears steadfast in its desire to keep Mason Plumlee, who just a few weeks ago was behind minimum-salary signee Jerome Jordan and in third place on the team’s depth chart at center. Plumlee has quickly roared back into prominence, averaging 18.1 points and 10.6 rebounds in 35.0 minutes per contest over his last seven games. He’s been starting in place of an injured Brook Lopez, who returned in a limited role Tuesday. Lopez has been in several trade rumors of late, and we’ll pass along more on him and his teammates here:

The Nets decided months ago that they needed to break up their core, writes Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck. The team is reportedly willing to deal Lopez, Deron Williams and Joe Johnson, but Johnson is likely to stay, according to Beck. Johnson’s salaries of nearly $23.181MM for this season and almost $24.895MM for next year would make any trade challenging to construct, as Beck notes later in his piece, though it’s unclear if that’s the primary reason he’ll probably stay in Brooklyn. In any case, Nets officials are confident that they can deal Williams and Lopez, build around Johnson and remain a playoff-caliber team throughout the process, Beck reports.
Many executives around the league expect Lopez to turn down his player option for next season, worth more than $16.744MM, Beck writes. That appears to contradict a report last week from Grantland’s Zach Lowe, who wrote that most execs believe Lopez will opt in.
Brooklyn is more likely to deal Williams than either Lopez or Johnson, and talks with the Kings date back to last season, a source tells Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. That conversation might be on the back burner, but it isn’t truly finished, Bondy hears, which jibes with the latest reports on that discussion.

Cavs Eye Brook Lopez, Robin Lopez

December 22nd, 2014 at 1:12pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavs have interest in twins Brook Lopez and Robin Lopez, but their respective salaries mean the acquisition of either is unlikely, reports Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. Brook Lopez makes more than $15.719MM and has a player option worth in excess of $16.744MM for 2015/16. Robin Lopez is set for free agency this summer after he earns nearly $6.124MM this season. The Nets are reportedly willing to trade Brook Lopez, who’s also drawn interest from the Hornets, but there are no such rumors surrounding Robin Lopez, who’s set to miss several more weeks with a broken hand. Robin Lopez also recently indicated a contentment with playing in Portland.

Cleveland continues to search for help at center, as the Cavs are one of the teams in the mix for Kosta Koufos, and they tried over a period of months to pry Timofey Mozgov from the Nuggets. However, the Cavs and Nuggets haven’t spoken about Mozgov recently, a source tells Amico. Cavs GM David Griffin and company have reportedly made several passes at the Blazers for Wesley Matthews, Robin Lopez’s teammate, but Cleveland doesn’t have as much interest in the shooting guard as previously indicated, Amico writes. The Cavs have used 35-year-old backup center Brendan Haywood sparingly this season, but Amico hears that other teams have expressed their interest in him because of his contract, an unusually valuable asset, as I explained earlier.

The Cavs also had talks about acquiring Corey Brewer, though they never became serious, league sources tell Amico. Minnesota wanted draft picks and likely a player in return, Amico adds, which falls in line with what the Wolves received when they shipped Brewer to Houston instead.

Latest On Lance Stephenson

December 18th, 2014 at 8:22pm CST by Zachary Links

8:22pm: The Hornets have not received an offer for Stephenson that they are inclined to accept, and will “keep him for now,” Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link).

THURSDAY, 8:10am: Charlotte isn’t making any progress in its talks with Indiana, and the market in general for Stephenson is lean, Wojnarowski tweets.

TUESDAY, 1:04pm: The Heat are among the teams to have called the Hornets about the mercurial shooting guard, but there’s no traction toward a deal, since Miami doesn’t have much that would entice Charlotte, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

MONDAY, 6:28pm: Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer confirms that the Hornets are aggressively looking to move Stephenson, but his sources say that they are nowhere close to a deal.

12:51pm: The Nuggets have recently been in the mix for Stephenson, too, as Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio hears.

SUNDAY, 6:10pm: The Hornets are targeting the Pacers and Nets as destinations for Stephenson, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Wojnarowski also hears that, so far, Charlotte has shown no inclination to package a future draft pick to move Stephenson.

Stephenson’s inability to co-exist on the floor with point guard Kemba Walker is among the main reasons for the franchise’s desire to move him, according to sources who spoke with Wojnarowski. The Pacers, meanwhile, are all too familiar with Stephenson’s troubles and are acting with little urgency in the talks.

When it comes to talks with the Nets, the Hornets have been willing to consider center Brook Lopez, whom they nearly signed to an offer sheet in 2012, league sources told the Yahoo scribe. Charlotte has been open to discussing the high-priced Lopez and Joe Johnson as part of a broader Stephenson package. However, they’re not interested in Deron Williams, thanks to his sizable contract and the emergence of Walker.

4:50pm: The Nets and Clippers are researching Stephenson’s time in Charlotte but they’ve yet to show serious interest, sources tell Wojnarowski (on Twitter).

Meanwhile, the Kings are not among the teams with interest due to concerns about Stephenson, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. It’s not hard to imagine other teams having worries about the guard.

4:38pm: The Hornets will be allowed to trade Lance Stephenson starting Monday and they’re exploring their options to move him, league sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stephenson has been the subject of trade rumors for weeks now and if the Hornets can find a trade partner, their union could be coming to an end within the next couple of months.

Meanwhile, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter) hears that the Hornets and Pacers have had preliminary talks to facilitate a possible Indiana return for Stephenson, but those discussions haven’t gone far. So far, the Hornets have been unwilling to attach a first-round pick to unload Stephenson, Wojnarowski tweets. That could have enticed the Pacers to make a move, he adds.

The Hornets are only 23 games into the Stephenson era, but a disappointing 6-17 start has them antsy to make moves. They’re not in move-him-at-all-costs mode, Stein writes, but they’re ready to bail out on their gamble if the right deal presents itself. So far, Stephenson appears to be a poor fit alongside Charlotte’s established core of Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker, shooting 38.9% from the floor and going 8 for 48 from downtown. The Brooklyn native has a 10.5 PER this season, his worst since becoming a starter in 2012/13.

Late last week it was reported that four or five teams have let the Hornets know they have strong interest in acquiring the shooting guard. For his part, Stephenson wouldn’t mind returning home to join the Nets, but it remains to be seen if there’s a match there.

Western Notes: Allen, Kuzmic, Crawford

December 17th, 2014 at 10:16pm CST by Eddie Scarito

One of the Warriors’ few weaknesses this season is the backup shooting guard spot, a void that free agent Ray Allen would fill perfectly, Tim Kawakami of The Bay Area News Group opines. Golden State has been having internal discussions about making a run at adding Allen to its roster, should he decide to play this season. With Corey Brewer once again being made available by Minnesota, he could also become a potential trade target, though that is just my speculation.

Here’s more from out west:

The Warriors have assigned Ognjen Kuzmic to the Santa Cruz Warriors, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Kuzmic’s second trek to the D-League this season.
Sources close to the Kings have denied reports that team owner Vivek Ranadive tried to dictate who ex-coach Mike Malone played, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reports (Twitter links). Although, one known instance of Ranadive suggesting whom to play was this past Saturday when Ranadive suggested that Ryan Hollins start after the death of his father, a move that Malone reportedly agreed with, Broussard adds.
The Clippers‘ Jamal Crawford has parted ways with agent Andy Miller, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group reports (Twitter link).
Crawford has said that the trade rumors regarding himself don’t bother him, and though he would prefer to stay with the Clippers, Crawford intimated that he could play “wherever,” Dan Woike of The Orange County Register tweets.
Most league executives unsurprisingly believe Brook Lopez will pick up his $16.744MM player option for next season with the Nets, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe writes amid a broader look at the Warriors and possible trade fits for David Lee.
Pops Mensah-Bonsu is set to be released by Hapoel Jerusalem, David Pick of Eurobasket.com reports (Twitter link). Mensah-Bonsu, who was briefly in training camp with the Nuggets this fall, was brought in by Hapoel on a month-to-month deal for the EuroCup competition, and is no longer needed since the team has been eliminated from the tournament, Pick adds.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.