3. Nets trade Brook Lopez to the Mavericks for Wesley Matthews and first-round pick
Brooklyn needs to do something to add young talent to its roster. That possibility was stripped from the team when it dealt multiple first-round picks to Boston in the now infamous Paul Pierce-Kevin Garnett trade.
The only real player of value this squad has on its roster is Lopez, who still performs at a high level while playing a premium position. This past regular season saw Lopez average 20.5 points while shooting at a 47 percent clip from the field. He remains a dynamic offensive threat.
If the Nets were to place Lopez on the block, Dallas would be the first team to come calling. We all know the Mavs and owner Mark Cuban love bigs. Prior to a disastrous 33-49 mark this past season, that had been one of the primary philosophies of the Mavericks.
With Dirk Nowitzki failing to act as anything more than a role player at this late stage in his career, Dallas needs to add a second option behind Harrison Barnes. Lopez would definitely bring that to the table, creating a solid frontcourt trio with both Barnes and the recently acquired Nerlens Noel.
The ninth pick might be a high price for Dallas to pay for a 29-year-old center. We get that. But Lopez brings value in that he’s able to add a scoring dimension at a position that lacks that around the NBA. Unloading $36-plus million of Matthews’ contract over the next two seasons doesn’t hurt at all. That has to be taken into account when examining this hypothetical trade.