When the Brooklyn Nets make a final pass around the league for trade offers for Brook Lopez ahead of the Feb. 19 trade deadline, expect the Denver Nuggets to place a call.
For whatever reason, the Nuggets have already made a run at Lopez and are expected to make another, according to Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post. Dempsey reports that the Nuggets were rebuffed by the Nets when they first reached out about Lopez, but Denver could try again now that the Nets' negotiations with the Oklahoma City Thunder have been tabled.
Lopez would fit with head coach Brian Shaw, who has long wanted a traditional, back-to-the-basket big man. Lopez is averaging 14.8 points on 50.3 percent shooting and has averaged upwards of 20 points in the past, but the fit beyond that is tenuous.
While Lopez is a nice offensive piece, acquiring him doesn't seem to line up with the Nuggets' current timeline. Denver is 18-24, well out of the playoff picture already, would be dealing assets for a player who won't make them a threat and who can walk after the season. Declining a $16.7-million player option may seem unlikely, but Lopez may prefer to do so to secure more guaranteed long-term money.
Even if he doesn't opt out, the Nuggets would almost surely have to give up young pieces and draft picks to land him. Rookie Jusuf Nurkic has been encouraging at center and probably couldn't play alongside Lopez, at least not with point guard Ty Lawson. Nurkic could be enough on talent alone to make the deal work, but the Nuggets would then have to match salaries, likely involving the $12-million owed to JaVale McGee next season that Brooklyn probably isn't interested in taking on.
It's not that Lopez isn't a good player, because he is. The on-court fit, trade fit and timeline fit are all seem to be sub-optimal.
