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The Nets aren't expected to resign Brook, I think they're still planning to trade him for Dwight but I think that's unlikely. My question is if they don't trade or resign him would you go into the Luxury Tax for Brook Lopez???

You misread it. The Nets have til January 25th to offer Brook an extension but they can still tender a QO and negotiate a contract extension for him in the summer if they don't. Doesn't matter though, the Hawks would still not have the capspace next summer to competitively pursue him.

would josh smith be a good trade for lopez ? if the nets want howard smith being howards friend could help the nets land howard . smith has been playing great but lopez would be a true center for atlanta without losing horford .

lopez is a "true center" who averages like 3 rebounds a game and cant play defense

how extactly is that better then playing al horford at center when he can rebound much better than lopez and isnt a disaster on d?

people get too carried away with allt his true center nonsense and dont look at how good the player actually is

If we traded Josh Smith for Brook Lopez (I'd want a pick from NJ, BTW), it would be because we'd decided to tank the season. We'd find SOMETHING "still" wrong with Lopez and "go slow" with him ... just to be safe, you understand.

We'd probably even find Joe's elbow still bothering him ... and Marvelous's back would "regress" so that what would be left would be Teague (developing) and the bench.

It's tempting but we have the 3rd-best record in the NBA. Horford will probably be back for the playoffs and we have a good bench for those series: we have Twin for DH and we have our own "mob" to counter CHI. If things go well, it could end up being our depth against MIA's big 3. DAL beat them with depth in the championship series. I know I presented some Smith-for-Bogut/Lopez deals, but that was before Smith went off and our team decided to forsake losing.

However, if we don't plan on re-signing Smith, it's a hard decision but we have to tank.

johnny878 wrote:lopez is a "true center" who averages like 3 rebounds a game and cant play defense

how extactly is that better then playing al horford at center when he can rebound much better than lopez and isnt a disaster on d?

people get too carried away with allt his true center nonsense and dont look at how good the player actually is

brook lopez for his career averages 7 rebounds per game and 17 points . are you sure you;re not thinking of robin lopez ? i think al would put up bigger numbers as a power forward .

also not looking to argue . but yes the hawks do need a true center , i think thats obvious after last years playoff series vs the bull's . their frontcourt pushed atlantas around . lopez may not be a great defender but his size alone makes teams change shots when he's down in the paint . i think horford is a good player but i never thought of him as that great of a defensive player . smith would be missed on the defensive end but the hawks really dont have much else to trade .

Nets center Brook Lopez was asked about general manager Billy King's announcement that he likely won't offer him a contract extension by the Jan. 25 deadline, meaning Lopez will probably become a restricted free agent this summer.

"I didn’t even know there was a deadline for contracts, honestly," Lopez said. "I knew there was a trade deadline."

That, of course, is March 15, and with the Nets still hoping to acquire Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, Lopez is well aware he could be traded away from the Nets by the deadline.

"I don’t know. I’d like to be (with the Nets), but you know — a lot of uncertainties," he said. "I don’t know."

Read more: http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/21 ... z1k143Bzxg

I'm not looking to pay $12million+ for a offensive center that can't even run back to help on defense.
Looking for ability to foul, not worry about minutes and rebound.
With Lopez you're getting no help defense, and if he misfires on offense he's worthless.

Not looking to become the New Jersey Nets. 12% Defensive rebounds is unacceptable. Let him be someone else's problem.