Goodbye Brooklyn! Nets trade Lopez, last holdover from the New Jersey era

Right before the NBA Draft, the Brooklyn Nets made a dramatic trade: longtime center Brook Lopez and the 27th draft pick to the Los Angeles Lakers for talented but young/immature combo guard D'Angelo Russell and overpriced center Timofey Mozgov.

Analysis from NetsDaily:

All that said, this looks like a steal for [Nets GM Sean] Marks. It isn’t easy to eat the contract of Mozgov, but if the Nets figure they won’t contend for another year or two, they can afford to spend Mikhail Prokhorov’s money strategically if it brings them assets. In this case, Lopez is an expiring contract who could have cost them close to a max contract. He’s also 29-years-old with a history of foot injuries. D’Angelo Russell, on the other hand, is 21-years-old with unlimited potential.

By contrast, FanSided suggested Lakers brass were winners:

They did it. We’re not sure exactly what they did, but they did something so high-five! Rob Lowe Pelinka and Magic Johnson LITERALLY traded away one of the two worst contracts in hoops to the Nets for a first-round pick and an All-Star level center in the reserved Lopez Twin.

Then again, Lopez has foot issues.

Goodbye Brooklyn

The bottom line, though, is that Lopez, the last holdover from the New Jersey Nets era--the goofy giant who genially complied with Nets public relations efforts in Brooklyn--is gone.

It only took 4 years, but it's finally complete: pic.twitter.com/97VI4mzkVj

— Anthony Puccio (@APOOCH) June 21, 2017

Point guard Jeremy Lin, also with injury issues but an immediate fan favorite last year, also may see his stock go down and/or hit the trading block.

As teammate Justin Hamilton put in a tweet hailing Lopez, "Tough part about the business." As always, it's a business.

Great teammate and even better person. Tough part about the business, good luck in LA Brook! pic.twitter.com/eC8HKYS24h

— justin hamilton (@Justin__41) June 20, 2017