5 NBA teams that should be selling at the trade deadline

Jan 29, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; New York Knicks guard Ron Baker (31) tries to console guard Courtney Lee (5) after missing a three pointer in the final seconds to give the Atlanta Hawks a 142-139 victory during the second half at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports /

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Jan 13, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) walks towards the bench during the fourth quarter in a game against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Toronto Raptors won 132-113. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Brooklyn Nets

Thanks to a series of missteps from former general manager Billy King, the Brooklyn Nets have the bleakest future of any NBA team at the moment. With the Boston Celtics owning their unprotected 2018 first-round pick along with swap rights over their 2017 first-rounder, relief won’t be coming courtesy of the draft until 2019 at the earliest. Until then, new GM Sean Marks must concoct creative ways to restock the Nets’ collection of young talent.

Marks began that process last summer, trading Thaddeus Young to the Indiana Pacers for the No. 20 overall pick (which he used on Caris LeVert). The trade deadline presents another opportunity to do so.

According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, the Nets “have been open” to trading Brook Lopez all season, but they’re “seeking a lottery-level pick this year and a first-round pick next year” in exchange for their starting center. They’re not feeling pressured to move him by Feb. 23, however, as they feel “his value only goes up the more he can put on tape and the longer he can play without major injury,” per Kyler.

Therein lies the rub. Considering Lopez’s lengthy history of foot injuries—he missed most of the 2011-12 and 2013-14 campaigns after fracturing the fifth metatarsal in his right foot—Brooklyn would be playing with fire by keeping him past the trade deadline. Though his trade value may be rising with every made three-pointer, one wrong step could scuttle any potential deals down the road.

Beyond Lopez, Marks should look to extract value wherever else he can, especially after letting Yogi Ferrell slip through his grasp earlier this season. Would a contender offer a late first-round pick for Bojan Bogdanovic? Great! Could Trevor Booker’s breakout campaign attract a suitor willing to part ways with a young prospect? Wonderful!

Since the Nets don’t control their own first-rounders until 2019, they have no real incentive to tank, but Lopez represents their greatest chance of accruing considerable assets in a trade.

Next: 2. Los Angeles Lakers

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