Rumors abound that the Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers could decide for a straight swap between Brook Lopez and Al Jefferson in the middle of the upcoming season depending on the respective roster fit of each veteran big man.
The 28-year-old Lopez, who was the Nets' 10th overall selection in the 2008 NBA Draft, was the only star player remaining in Brooklyn's 2013 veteran revolution that sent Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry from the Celtics in exchange for numerous future first-round draft picks and a plethora of second-tier players.
The said deal, which was a failed gamble on the part of the Nets, had become one of the causes of the club's problems right now as the team cannot rebuild via the draft after losing almost all of their significant future selections.
Brooklyn has qualified for the playoffs in only three of Lopez's eight seasons with the squad, which means that it is not impossible that the former Stanford Cardinal standout will be traded to initiate the rebuild, or at least a retool, of head coach Kenny Atkinson's current roster.
Elite Sports NY reported that Brooklyn has been "resisting a deal" for Lopez for years and it that it is perhaps time to "stop delaying the inevitable" and push through with trading him and starting over.
With that, recent rumors have emerged that the Nets are looking at another veteran center, the Pacers' Al Jefferson, as a potential replacement for Lopez.
Fansided noted that the Pacers "made one of the best signings in free agency" by giving Jefferson a three-year, $30 million deal this summer.
However, Jefferson's slow-paced game may not be the perfect complement to head coach Nate McMillan's up-tempo system and so Indiana may consider swapping him for another big man that could fit the bill.
At this point, it looks like Jefferson is set to come off the Pacers' bench for the starting lineup of Paul George, Jeff Teague, Monta Ellis, and Thaddeus Young to maximize their speed, athleticism, and versatility. Myles Turner, the 20-year-old, 6-foot-11, 243-pound incoming sophomore, is more likely to start at center than Jefferson.
A one-on-one trade between Lopez and Jefferson may happen after the December 15 deadline set for players who had been signed this summer has passed.