NBA Trade Rumors: Boston Celtics Interested In Acquiring Brook Lopez From Brooklyn Nets
Brook Lopez could soon find himself going from the outhouse to the penthouse in the NBA. The Boston Celtics are said to be one of the teams that are interested in acquiring the services of the Brooklyn Nets center, as reported by ESPN.
Knowing that they desperately need a change to turn the fate of the franchise around, the Brooklyn Nets decided to change regimes yet again. Sean Marks was brought in as the new general manager of the team. There is some excitement behind him because he learned his trade from the San Antonio Spurs, a franchise that has been lauded both within the NBA and outside of the league for being one of the better operated teams in sports.
Rather than bringing in a big name head coach with a long NBA resume, Sean Marks decided to think outside of the box by choosing a lesser known assistant coach that had been viewed as a hot head coaching candidate by his peers. Kenny Atkinson was plucked from the Atlanta Hawks bench. He learned much from Mike Budenholzer, another successful person that came through the San Antonio Spurs system.
Brook Lopez has become an awkward fit with Nets via @NYPost
— Simcha(Sam)Feinhandler (@Simcha_Shmuel) October 28, 2016
The entire Brooklyn Nets organization will attempt to sell to the fan base that the future is bright, but deep down they know that they are going to struggle to compete with better teams in the NBA. The roster simply does not have enough assets to be competitive. Management will not admit it, but they know that they need more assets if they want to turn things around in a couple of years.
Jeremy Lin generated some headlines over the summer when he decided to walk away from the Charlotte Hornets, where he rebuilt his reputation and name value last season, to sign with the Brooklyn Nets in free agency. Lin cited a desire to be a starter in the NBA again as a reason for choosing the Nets. He also stated that he wanted to play for Kenny Atkinson again, as the two of them had a lot of chemistry when they were both with the New York Knicks.
While Jeremy Lin might produce more highlights for the Brooklyn Nets, Brook Lopez remains arguably the biggest asset that the team possesses. He is not a dominant player, but Lopez is legitimately one of the best centers in the NBA. His talents could bring back a good amount of assets for the Nets.
With the Brooklyn Nets yearning for talent, the Boston Celtics appear to be a great trade partner because they have a ton of expendable talent. Ironically enough, a good amount of their assets were acquired from the Nets during the trade that involved Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
Isaiah Thomas was the only All-Star on the Boston Celtics roster last season, and the team still managed to make it to the NBA Playoffs. Al Horford jumped ship in free agency when he left the Atlanta Hawks for the Celtics. Management still wants a little bit more talent on the roster. A trio of Thomas, Horford, and Brook Lopez could provide a tough challenge to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, still the favorite to come out of the Eastern Conference.
The trade would certainly make Al Horford happy because he really wants to be a power forward instead of being stuck at the center position. Brook Lopez would gladly take on opposing centers for the chance to make it to the NBA Finals.
Since Brook Lopez is scheduled to make approximately $21 million, the Boston Celtics would need to put together a handful of players to make the deal work out. That means that the Celtics and Brooklyn Nets might need to find another NBA team or two to get involved.
From now until the middle of February, NBA fans can expect to hear about rumors involving Brook Lopez being moved. The Boston Celtics can make that happen.
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