The End of an Era: Brook Lopez Has Been Traded By the Nets

The 2017 offseason has started off strong with some very notable trades all happening days before the NBA Draft has even occurred!  The #1 and #3 pick have both been traded, Dwight Howard has yet another home to play mediocre basketball in, and unfortunately, a face of a franchise, and an overall class act and role model, has been traded.  Brook Lopez, the former All Star Center, has been the most recognizable and one of the most accomplished players for the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets franchise since he was drafted 10th overall out of Stanford University.  Especially in the post-Deron Williams/Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce era of the Nets organization, Lopez has been the most consistent and marketable player during what is probably the least productive era in franchise history.  Regardless, and despite the fact that Brook has been on the trade block or at least rumored to be traded every year since 2015 during the Draft and trade deadline, Lopez has continued to be the esteemed veteran leader of the Nets and has done everything he could to play the best basketball possible, even with an abysmal roster and rumor after rumor of the organization wanting to relocate him.

Now, after nearly a decade with the Nets, Lopez will begin his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers this Fall.  The trade that sent Lopez and the 27th pick overall to LA resulted with Brooklyn receiving D’Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov.  Even though Brooklyn is unfortunately finally trading Brook Lopez, what they’re getting in return isn’t half bad.  Sure Mozgov isn’t nearly as good as Lopez, and Brooklyn will have to pay him way too much for his laughable 7.4 ppg, but having D’Angelo Russell join the backcourt with Jeremy Lin not only adds more actually recognizable names to the Brooklyn roster, but actually gives the team some potential to improve on offense.  In my opinion, Russell was never a good fit in Los Angeles, and adding him to a team like the Nets, who truly have no one to lead them to their next era of success, is a great way for D’Angelo to restart with a clean slate.  Even if he somehow gets worse playing in the worst team in the Eastern Conference instead of the worst team in the West, the fact that he is a recognizable player with potential will at least help the Barclays Center sell more tickets.

Los Angeles, on the other hand, made out well with the trade.  Dumping Mozgov after agreeing to pay him an obscene amount of money last offseason is a huge burden off their shoulders, and replacing him with a Center who has recorded arguably his two greatest seasons in his career in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, is a solid improvement for a rebuilding LA team.  Also, with the acquisition of the 27th overall pick, the Lakers now currently own 3 picks in the first round in this year’s Draft.  This will either result in a solid core of promising rookies or assets that will help land Paul George a year earlier than originally anticipated.  Also, like mentioned earlier, not only was D’Angelo Russell unable to make waves in Los Angeles, I personally think he might be overrated.  Of course, he did spend his rookie year playing during one of the Lakers’ worst seasons in their extensive history as a franchise, but I still think Russell may be truly overhyped.  Playing in Brooklyn might change this, but removing Mozgov’s contract from Los Angeles’s team payroll will greatly help land Paul George or Lebron James this season or next, which is ultimately greater than continuing to be patient with Russell.

But of course, this article isn’t about the Lakers’ future, it’s about remembering Lopez’s significant run with the Nets.  During his near decade with the franchise, Lopez was an All-Star in 2013, leads the franchise in points scored (10,444), has played the third most minutes in franchise history (18,118), has the third most rebounds in franchise history (4,004), the most blocks in franchise history (972), and will most likely have his #11 jersey retired by Brooklyn upon his retirement from the league.  Lopez led the Nets as one of the greatest players to ever play in New Jersey/Brooklyn, and was easily a fan favorite, all while presenting himself as a grateful, well spoken role model for both young fans and the rest of the league.  Lopez’s career is far from over, and I truly hope his best season is still yet to come, but for now, the great Nets Center will be taking his talents to Magic’s Los Angeles Lakers.  Check out Brook’s highlight reel from one of his best games last season and get ready for Lopez to be the next Pau Gasol for the new era of the Lakers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB2kY4tSTRA

Written by Erik Clark, @_erikclark