Nuggets open to dealing Hickson and McGee…
READ MORE:
Heat and Rockets interested in Lopez: Nets center set to leave Brooklyn.
Hollins keeps Lopez on bench: Williams also starting as a reserve.
Nets put Lopez, Williams and Johnson on trade block: All change in Brooklyn this year.
The Denver Nuggets are reportedly looking to push an offer to the Brooklyn Nets for center Brook Lopez ahead of the trade deadline on February 19.
Lopez has struggled to cement his place in the team this season under coach Lionel Hollins, and it has been widely reported for months that the franchise is open to trading him if the right offer presents itself.
It was understood that they were close to agreeing a deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but that deal fell short as general manager Billy King insisted that they didn’t like what they were receiving enough to let the deal happen.
As a result, Lopez has returned to being on the trade block and it appears as though the Nuggets are the latest team to show concrete interest in acquiring him.
The 26-year-old holds a player option for $16.7m next season and has a history of injury problems which make him an unattractive proposition for many teams.
Nevertheless, he is still a more than capable force on the offensive end and can play at an All-Star level when healthy which in turn still ensures he has value in trade.
With Brooklyn wanting to shed salary and rebuild, Lopez, Deron Williams and Joe Johnson all face uncertain futures at the organisation heading into next season.
“Denver, I’m told, has been pushing an offer of J.J. Hickson/JaVale McGee for B-Lopez. Nets have so far been firm in their refusal to take it,” Marc Stein of ESPN reports.
“Tonight’s Brook Lopez performance helps explain why Nets, even though they’ve seriously discussed trading him, feel they can’t give him away.”
The performance in question was against the Toronto Raptors on Friday night in which Lopez put up 35 points, 12 rebounds, three steals and three blocked shots in 41 minutes off the bench in the overtime loss.
However, he struggled in the three previous games that he has featured in and so Brooklyn will not be looking at the Raptors display with any real seriousness.
Lopez remains a dispensable asset for the Nets, but it remains to be seen if they can find a suitable deal.
COMMENTS