Nets looking to trade Brook Lopez by end of the weekend

Brook Lopez, the longest tenured Brooklyn Nets player who has been with the team since the 2008, looks like he will be  finding a new home by the end of the weekend.  Lopez is averaging 14.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game this season and hasn’t been able to get his starting job back from Mason Plumlee since returning from a lower back strain.  

Yahoo Sports reported that Brooklyn was in talks with the Charlotte Hornets and Oklahoma City Thunder on a three-team trade that would send Lopez to OKC and bring back Lance Stephenson and other pieces.

Oklahoma City has been the most aggressive in its pursuit of Lopez, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Brooklyn has tried to find teams willing to move the expiring contract of Kendrick Perkins for an established player, sources said.

The Nets have delivered indications to teams they would like to settle on a trade by the weekend, league sources said.

Denver has discussed a package centered on center JaVale McGee, but his consistent problems with injuries have discouraged the Nets’ interest, sources said. Miami raised the idea of a package including Chris Andersen, Norris Cole and Josh McRoberts, sources told Yahoo Sports. The Los Angeles Lakers have expressed interest too, sources said.

The Hornets have a strong interest in making a deal for Lopez, but league sources believe the Nets are focused on dealing Lopez to the Western Conference, league sources told Yahoo.

Those trade rumors/parameters have been halted this morning in the wake of the news that Brooklyn is now unwilling to take a chance on the highly combustible Stephenson at this moment.

Stephenson signed a three-year $27.4m deal this past offseason with Charlotte and has a opt-out after the second year.  Lots of rumors going around now that Stephenson doesn’t think he is ready to return home to Brooklyn right now.

The Thunder were always high on Lopez going back to the 2008 draft where the room was split a bit between him and Russell Westbrook.

Sources: Nets still talking with OKC about possibly sending Brook Lopez there in what will amount to virtually salary dump.

— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) January 16, 2015

Sources: main piece Nets would get is Kendrick Perkins in trade for Lopez. Talks ongoing….

— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) January 16, 2015