With another calendar year coming to an end, the contenders have begun to separate themselves from the pretenders in the NBA standings. The teams with legitimate playoff aspirations have broken down what they have and what they will need to make some noise in the postseason, while the teams that don’t stand a chance will soon turn their attention to the future.
The Brooklyn Nets in particular have made it clear they would like to unload some salary, so it’s no surprise our list of three players that could move before the NBA trade deadline begins with perhaps their most promising trade asset.
Brook Lopez – Brooklyn Nets
The Nets are an absolute mess right now with a loaded salary cap hit and an 8-11 record in the weak Eastern Conference to show for it. They are also dealing with a potentially huge luxury tax hit that would make a significant move that much more likely. Brooklyn’s management made it clear that Brook Lopez, Deron Williams, and Joe Johnson are available.
The main challenge is that Williams and Johnson have brutal contracts, so Lopez is the most attractive asset that teams might want to acquire. He would be a force for any team he’s traded to and he’s the most likely to come with a decent price tag. Since Lopez is the best asset this team has to offer, don’t be surprised if they try to stuff Johnson and/or Williams into any trade that involves their big man. They’ll try to make it a package deal so that they can free up their salary cap space and start to rebuild. At the very least, though, they’d like to move Lopez, who is the player that should garner the most attention.
Rajon Rondo – Boston Celtics
The internet nearly exploded when the photo of Rondo and Kobe Bryant having breakfast together went viral, and though they have both admitted a desire to play together, nothing has come to fruition yet. The thing is that Kobe isn’t leaving Los Angeles any time soon and that creates an interesting situation where Rondo could move in a potential deal. The two sides talked about a potential trade last year and nothing materialized, but with Rondo set to become a free agent this summer and the two sides nowhere closer to getting a deal done, a trade might be Boston’s best option.
The Celtics would have to explore all avenues and find the best package if they do decide to move Rondo before the trade deadline. Since they can’t afford to lose him for nothing, it wouldn’t be a major shock if he is traded for a package that could help the Celtics both now and for the immediate future. As for the Lakers, they’re in dire straits right now but the addition of Rondo would start to give them some building blocks. With him and Kobe, they would have the early makings of a playoff team, so the Lakers should be quite interested in getting a deal done.
Andrei Kirilenko – Brooklyn Nets
Another player that the Nets are reportedly interested in moving is Kirilenko and it appears as though a deal could already be in the works. There have been reports that the Philadelphia 76ers are among the teams that are seriously looking to acquire Kirilenko. Philadelphia isn’t going to compete for anything more than a top pick in this year’s draft for now but that has allowed them to turn their focus to the future. With over $30 million in cap space, the 76ers are the perfect candidate to take on a big salary if that team is willing to send a draft pick with it. The 76ers are just looking to stockpile selections for the future.
With Brooklyn in line to pay a huge luxury tax hit despite not being a true contender and having little room to work with financially, this seems like a smart move that would work out for both teams.
