The Brooklyn Nets are at a standstill in dealing center Brook Lopez, but remain insistent in their asking price for the big man.
Nothing has happened for the Brooklyn Nets in the trade market yet, but news about the circumstances surrounding Brook Lopez continue to circulate.
According to ESPN, the Nets have not changed their minds about what they seek in exchange for Lopez.
"The Nets, as ESPN.com reported in late December, continue to demand two first-round draft picks if you want to convince them to part with center Brook Lopez before the deadline."
In recent weeks, Lopez trade rumors have begun to pick up, but Brooklyn has yet to act on any offer. Last week, The Vertical reported that the New Orleans Pelicans were interested in a center, which included Lopez, but it was reported that the Pelicans were also interested in Philadelphia 76ers big man Jahlil Okafor.
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According to Keith Smith, New Orleans is the frontrunner in landing Okafor. If that trade is completed, it would eliminate the Pelicans as a destination for Lopez.
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It’s likely that the Nets have yet to go through with a deal because no team has met their demand of two first-round draft picks for Lopez. It’s understandable that they’re pursuing this amount in the exchange, considering they don’t own their first-round pick until 2019. However, they may be setting the bar too high in their request, especially with talent such as Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball set to hit the 2017 NBA draft class.
With only nine wins in mid-February, it’s not surprising that Brooklyn is trying to move some of its few assets. Bojan Bogdanovic has also been mentioned in trade rumors alongside Lopez, though nothing has come to fruition on that end, either.
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The trade deadline is only one and a half weeks away. If the Nets continue to not back down from their asking price, we may have to walk away from another year of fruitless Brook Lopez trade rumors.