The Miami Heat have taken off over the last week thanks to the discovery of center Hassan Whiteside, but that doesn't mean Pat Riley will stop looking for help on the interior. Miami is showing "strong" interest in Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN New York.
Heat showing ‘strong interest’ in Nets center Brook Lopez, per report
Will Miami really make a run at the Brooklyn center? Let’s break down this rumor.
Alex Goodlett/Getty Images
Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
The 26-year-old Lopez is averaging 14.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game on 50.3 percent shooting from the field in 28 games this season. He was limited to only 17 games last year because of a season-ending foot injury. Lopez is making $15.7 million this season and has a player option for $16.7 million this upcoming summer.
What makes a potential deal interesting is that the Nets and Heat are both on the edge of the Eastern Conference playoff picture at the moment. Miami, at 17-21 overall, is the No. 7 seed in the conference, while Brooklyn is sitting at the final No. 8 seed at 16-22.
So: is this a realistic trade rumor? Let’s break it down.
Why it makes sense
Size has been the Heat's Achilles heel dating back to their four-year run with LeBron James. In those days, Miami spread the floor and moved Chris Bosh to center to help overcome its weakness inside. This year, the team was reeling in December at 5-12 before unearthing Whiteside.
Whiteside has been a revelation, but the sample size on his production is still small. Lopez is a veteran at this point and has a proven track record of being one of the best interior scorers in the NBA when he’s healthy. Need size? Going after a 7-foot, 275-pound center like Lopez is a good way to do it.
The Heat might believe the Eastern Conference is vulnerable this season and that the addition of Lopez would give them a puncher's chance to pull an upset or two. Dwyane Wade isn't getting any younger, either. That could be another motivation for Miami to pull the trigger on this.
Why it doesn’t make sense
Lopez’s history of injury issues are going to scare away suitors in free agency if he declines his player option this summer. He can be good a very good starting center when he’s healthy, but foot injuries are among the worst troubles for a big man. Is he worth the type of investment it will take to sign him?
Whiteside’s presence complicates matters, too. Whiteside is only 25 years old and has looked fantastic in January. He’s certainly more athletic than Lopez and a superior shot blocker. Why would the Heat want to cut into his minutes already?
It's also unclear if Brooklyn is ready to cut ties with Lopez. The team has been at the center of trade rumors involving Deron Williams and Joe Johnson in the past, but those players are on the wrong side of 30. Having one dependable young player like Lopez is nice. Does Brooklyn really want to move on from a player it drafted and developed already?
Likelihood: 5/10
This is silly season in the NBA, so rumors like this one are bound to pop up. Is it true? Who knows! It certainly could be. It could also be another smoke screen from Brooklyn to drum up interest in Lopez. Time will tell.
See More:
