Zach Lowe: Should the Thunder go after Brook Lopez?

The D-League Showcase is one of those gatherings of the NBA clan where front office execs and scouts gossip about the league, players, etc.  Zach Lowe of Grantland talked to a lot of those on hand and among the topics he got into was whether Brook Lopez would be a good fit in OKC ... and what that means for his trade value.

There were loud debates at the Showcase on Thursday and Friday about whether Lopez would fit in Oklahoma City. The detractors claimed Lopez was a slowpoke who would hold back the Thunder’s transition attack, clog the lane on offense, and demand back-to-the-basket post-ups that would siphon possessions away from Westbrook and Kevin Durant. Lopez has a scary history of foot and back issues; one more broken foot could have a catastrophic impact on his career.

While Lowe acknowledged that, count him among those who see Lopez as an upgrade over the current bigs the Thunder are employing.

Lopez can be a lane-clogger on offense, but Steven Adams and Perkins are already doing that for damn near 48 minutes per game between them. If you’re going to muck up driving lanes, you might as well do it with a big man who can actually score.

Lowe also thinks Lopez's lane-clogging on defense could help OKC. No matter the intricacies of the debate. Lowe thinks the offer that the Thunder was pushing --Kendrick Perkins' expiring deal, Jeremy Lamb and Grant Jerrett-- was not a good deal for Brooklyn, writing, "the Nets wisely pulled back to further test the market," but adding, "I’d expect the Thunder to inquire on Lopez again soon."

• 13 Observations From the D-League Showcase - Zach Lowe - Grantland