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Report: As Heat and Rockets show interest in Brook Lopez, Nets back away from trade talks with Thunder

Brooklyn Nets V Houston Rockets

BROOKLYN, NY - JANUARY 12: Brook Lopez #11 of the Brooklyn Nets shoots the ball against the Houston Rockets at the Barclays Center on January 12, 2015 in Brooklyn, NY NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)

Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images

The Nets reportedly want to trade Brook Lopez.

They explored a three-way deal with the Thunder and Hornets. Didn’t happen.

They explored a deal with just the Thunder. Not happening, either.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:

After progressing in serious talks on a deal to send center Brook Lopez to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Brooklyn Nets backed away from discussions Friday afternoon, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

“Standing pat at this time,” one Nets source told Yahoo Sports. “There was nothing we liked.”

The Nets backed away from the idea of simply moving Lopez on a salary dump, without the ability to bring back value on his talent, league sources said.

Nevertheless, discussions could begin again with a simple alteration of an offer, and the Nets’ desire to move Lopez soon remains unchanged.

The Houston Rockets were also probing the Nets on Lopez too, league sources said. The Miami Heat have also remained connected to discussions on Lopez, sources said.


It seems the Nets are just trying to drum up interest in Lopez, engaging in trade talks then pulling out. Maybe they can get a team sold on the idea of adding Lopez, and it ups its offer.

The Rockets are always probing trades, so it’s far from guaranteed they’ll make a suitable offer. The Heat’s interest has been known, but nothing has come of it. The Thunder aren’t going anywhere in these discussions.

But the longer this drags, the more untenable it becomes for the Nets. They just very publicly took Lopez through the trade market, and now they’re asking him to keep playing hard for them. Yet, they still want to deal him – while getting value in return.

The offers might change, just not in the direction Brooklyn thinks.