Our best bet to insure the Nets tank, or at least stay in the bottom 5 where they currently are, is to trade for Brook Lopez.
Facts:
*Brooklyn has little to no way to rebuild their team. No big name free agents are going to want to sign there, after seeing how poorly mismanaged they are.
*Their best bet to rebuild is through the draft. But we own all their best picks for the next 3 seasons.
*The Celtics have more than enough picks to spare.....too many to retain on our roster for next season.
*Brooklyn has no incentive to tank as their next pick belongs to us
*Brook Lopez is their best healthy player remaining, and assumes quite a bit of their cap. It is only a 3 year deal
With all of this information, The Celtics (embarrassingly for the Nets) are likely their top trade candidate to assist them in having the ability to rebuild.
My proposed trade is:
David Lee or Amir Johnson (depending if BKN wants the younger, talented player in Johnson or not). Both deals can expire after this season, as Johnsons deal has a team option.
Tyler Zeller
Jonas Jerbeko
Dallas 1st round pick, Philly 2nd round pick, and we rescind the right to swap picks with the Nets in 2017.
Why for The Nets?
They know they have a snowballs chance of making the playoffs any of the next 3 seasons, barring a miracle marquee FA signing. Trading Lopez contract and acquiring either Lee or Amir, gives them a lot more cap space to throw max-offers at whom they choose. They also acquire a serviceable big man in Zeller, and a rotational player in Jerbeko.
Rather than having zero involvement in the 1st round of 2016, they now have a mid-first round pick, plus the sixers which is essentially a late 1st rounder as well. In the likely chance (which they are aware of) that they finish behind Boston again next season, they will at least get to keep their lottery pick. This portion of the deal is essentially a peace offering, and Boston will still have their own 2017 1st rounder.
Why for Boston?
Roster consolidation. We clear out some of the glut in the big-man rotation, and get an All-star caliber Center (when healthy, which he currently is). We take away the Nets top player this season, ensuring that they have virtually no chance of being anything better than a bottom-5 team. We acquire a legit starting CENTER, rather than a bunch of pretender PF's trying to play center. We still maintain cap-flexibility next season, as we then allow Lee to simply expire, or if it's Amir, we have the team-option to cut ties. This also free's up an end of the rotation role this season to see if Jordan Mickey is just a D-league fantasy, or if he offers NBA-level skills.
This won't be easy, to even get The Nets on the phone after the fleecing in the KG/PP trade. Either way, I think they will move Lopez to another team by the deadline.....this just is an idea to ensure that it happens.
Is this trade reasonable?