Last week, Brooklyn Nets forward Thaddeus Young opted out of his contract with the team in an almost head scratching move by the veteran forward. Earlier this week, Nets center Brook Lopez followed suit and also opted out of his deal. It immediately sent Nets fans in a state of panic. Then, they traded away their young stud center Mason Plumlee, only concerning them even more.
Now it appears that those moves may have been just all a part of the process to actually bring back both Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young this summer.
Following from ESPN.com’s Mike Mazzeo and Marc Stein.
Rival teams interested in Brooklyn Nets free agents Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young are increasingly convinced that they have no shot at luring either one away from the incumbent Nets, according to league sources.
Sources told ESPN.com that both Lopez and Young are widely expected to reach verbal agreements on new deals with the Nets early in free agency, which officially begins Wednesday at midnight.
The Nets’ willingness to trade young Team USA center Mason Plumlee to Portland on draft night last week, sources said, was deemed in many front offices around the league as a clinching sign of Brooklyn’s confidence in retaining Lopez.
Without Plumlee, it assures Lopez that the position is his and his only. He doesn’t have anyone breathing down his neck, ready to take the starting center position from him. The same can be said for Thaddeus Young as he won’t have to give up any time in the front court rotation alongside Lopez.
Thad and Brook can either sign some big deals or look to help the Nets out. Lopez might get close to the max but Young on the other hand can play this game wisely. He can return to the Nets for more than what his option would’ve been, which is a little over $9 million, and help them in the luxury tax. Stretch out a deal for Thad that would allow him to get paid down the line.
Either way it shakes out, it appears bringing these two back won’t be the only moves the Nets make. They’re also looking to possibly dump their starting backcourt pretty soon.
