Brooklyn Nets: 5 Potential Trade Destinations for Brook Lopez

2.) Houston Rockets

One of the pleasant surprises this season has been the turn around for the Houston Rockets. The coaching change to Mike D’Antoni has paid off. D’Antoni has James Harden playing some of the best basketball of his career, and he is a legitimate MVP candidate. While the Rockets do have one of the best records in the NBA, there is a glaring flaw.

D’Antoni’s system of playing small has worked out so far, but the Rockets get zero production from the center position. If they truly want to challenge the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference, they will need to add some size. Especially against the Spurs, the Rockets currently don’t have an answer for LaMarcus Aldridge and when Pau Gasol returns from his injury.

Even though adding Lopez goes against what the Rockets have been doing this season, they still need to take the next step. Lopez would pair nicely in the front court with Ryan Anderson at power forward. Also, using Lopez in the pick-and-roll with Harden would certainly be a challenging thing for opposing defenses. Trading for Lopez would result in the Rockets having to slow down their offense a bit. However, it could help them in a playoff series against the top teams.