Imagine if the Brooklyn Nets had put together a blockbuster trade by the end of Sunday’s 66th Annual NBA All-star game, or any time this week, the last days before the trade deadline ends, the way New Orleans Pelicans executives traded for Sacramento Kings star center, 6’11” DeMarcus Cousins.
Cousins, 26, street name Boogie, in his sixth year, averaging a double-double, 27 points and 10 rebounds, started All-star weekend off as a King and ended it as a Pelican. The trade finalized by the end of the All-star game gives the eleventh place Pelicans, who was also the All-star game’s host team, a strong opportunity to secure the eighth seeded position in the Western Conference. They must overtake the Portland Trailblazers, the Kings and Denver Nuggets during the final third of the season which begins tonight (Thursday). The trade pairs Cousins with Anthony Davis, the All-star MVP. Davis who averages 27 points and 11 rebounds, led all All-star scorers with 52 points.
Also making moves while the world’s most elite basketball players entertained fans and themselves with spectacular displays of dunks and offense was the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers, like Brooklyn, who also sit at the bottom of their conference, promoted Hall of Famer, Earvin Magic Johnson to President of Basketball Operations. Johnson ascends to the position after coming on board about three weeks ago as a special assistant. Johnson’s first official move was to trade Lou Williams, their best scorer to the Houston Rockets, seeded third in the west for a first round draft pick.
The Lakers are realistically writing off this season and are preparing for the next. “It’s not a quick fix,” said Johnson. “We’re going to fix this thing the right way.”
Even with Johnson now running things, the Lakers are still like all other NBA teams from ninth to fifteenth place, the middle to the bottom. Yes, Johnson has the “Magic Johnson” reputation, but like Brooklyn, listed last in the league, Johnson is dependent upon his roster of players, the draft, D League and overseas players, free agents and a salary cap. Like Nets’ GM Sean Marks and the league’s other 30, he’s also dependent upon other GM’s doing business with him.
It’s about what they have of value that benefits the other? I’ve stated when Phil Jackson signed on with the New York Knicks, teams aren’t concerned about enhancing “the legacy of Phil” and now “the legacy of Magic,” especially at their team’s expense.
What does a team like Brooklyn, who are without draft picks due to past deals, have to offer? There’s veteran 7 foot center Brooke Lopez. Sources state that they’re asking for two first round draft picks. They’ll settle for a one and a two, but is there anything else there of value? Guard / forward Bojan Bogdanovic. Brooklyn has agreed to deal Bogdanovic, whose been with them since 2011, and second year player, forward Chris McCollough to the Washington Wizards for their 2017 first round draft pick and players Andrew Nicholson and Marcus Thornton.
If there are no other trades by today (Thursday), it’s pretty much determined how Brooklyn will reconstruct this team, but is there anyone else on this roster that provides value? Who will they build around? With 26 games remaining on their schedule, starting on the road against the Denver Nuggets tomorrow night (Friday), the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, and their 9-47 record, opposing teams will just see them as another win? For Brooklyn, it’s all about the future right now.
Marks may be as charming and as affable as Johnson, but either way, they both will be working their way up from the bottom, although now, Johnson only has one more draft pick.
