Report: Nets, Thunder, Hornets discussing trade involving Lopez, Stephenson, Lamb
Earlier Thursday, Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Brooklyn Nets were looking to trade center Brook Lopez, with the team potentially interested in receiving enigmatic Charlotte Hornets guard Lance Stephenson in return.
Related: Report: Nets accelerating Lopez trade talks, will move him soon
ESPN's Chris Broussard has since reported on a potential deal being discussed that would expand on the Lopez/Stephenson trade, with the Oklahoma City Thunder jumping into the mix.
Sources: Nets,Hornets,OKC talking 3-way trade. Brook Lopez 2 OKC, Lance Stephenson 2 BKN, Jeremy Lamb/Jarrett Jack 2 Charlotte.Talks ongoing
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) January 16, 2015
Sources: OKC has joined Charlotte in agreeing to the 3-team trade. Nets are the last holdout
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) January 16, 2015
Part of the reason the Nets have yet to commit may have to do with Stephenson's reputation, as Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix reports Brooklyn fears bringing the New York native home could do more harm than good.
USA Today's Sam Amick reports that Kendrick Perkins could be leaving Oklahoma City in a potential deal:
If the deal remains in its current form, the person told USA TODAY Sports that Thunder center Kendrick Perkins likely would go to the Nets as well. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of trade talks. None of the teams have committed to doing the deal as they are in the process of analyzing the deal internally.
Lopez is set to earn more than $15.7 million this season and has a player option worth over $16.7 million for next season. Given Lopez's injury history and regression, any team taking on the former All-Star would have to assume he'll pick up that option.
The 26-year-old is averaging 14.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks for the 16-23 Nets, who are a non-factor in the weak Eastern Conference despite the highest payroll in the NBA.
Stephenson, meanwhile, has struggled in his first season with the Hornets, averaging 10.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists on 38.6 percent shooting, including a pitiful 15 percent success rate from behind the arc.
Stephenson, who recently returned from a 14-game absence due to a pelvic sprain, will earn $9 million this season and next, with the third year of his contract (2016-17) containing a roughly $9.4 million team option.