Wednesday, July 11th, 2012 at 9:00 am  |  118 responses

Brook Lopez Reportedly Close to Max Deal from Brooklyn Nets


by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

For now, the prevailing wisdom around the NBA, appears to be that the proposed Dwight Howard trade to Brooklyn has fallen apart.

There’s now increased chatter of Dwight possibly heading to Los Angeles, as part of another complex three-team deal.

Which opens the door for the Nets to ink restricted free agent center Brook Lopez to a maximum level contract, which reportedly could be finalized today.

Per Yahoo! Sports:

Nets president Billy King and Lopez’s agent, Arn Tellem, are finalizing the length of the deal – four years for $58 million, or five years for $78 million – and ironing out protections on the back end to account for a right foot that Lopez broke twice in the past year, sources said.

As close as the Nets and Lopez are on a deal, several sources wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Lopez still signing an offer sheet with another team for the full four-year, $58 million maximum contract if the final details are unable to be worked out. The Charlotte Bobcats have shown the most interest in signing Lopez to a max sheet, sources said. The Nets would undoubtedly match, but signing the offer sheet would be a way for Lopez to avoid any partial guarantees based on games that the Nets might want in his deal. King is scheduled to travel to Los Angeles on Wednesday to work on completing the deal with Tellem.

It all remains very fluid at this point, with Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic’s front-office holding much of the NBA hostage until a decision is finally made.

Should Brook Lopez ink his deal with the Brooklyn Nets, he can’t be part of any trade package until January 15.

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  • thebugg

    What has he done to deserve that much money? It’s ridiculous how overpaid players are these days.

  • ALD

    if Brook lopez can stay healthy, i think the nets can make it to the ECF granted if they play defense like they should.

  • http://www.kb24.com The Seed

    So 3 rebounds a game earns you this much money?

  • http://www.kb24.com The Seed

    They are paying to much for Lopez, but they have to. Bobcats would give Lopez the key to the city and the stadium if he would come. I think the Nets are playing mind games with the Magic management to get the deal done, this helps out the Lakers if Lopez is signed.

  • Vince

    Ooooh geez. So overpaid, his production doesn’t warrant a max contract. oh and ALD the Nets will make it to the Second Round if they’re lucky, doubt they’ll make much noise this season

  • http://www.nba.com/statistics/player/Rebounds.jsp?league=00&season=22010&conf=OVERALL&position=1&splitType=9&qualified=Y&yearsExp=-1&sortOrder=7&splitDD=All%20Teams L Dribble

    The guy is 7ft and gets 8.1 rebounds per 48 minutes (2010/11 last full season). That puts him 29th out of 30 qualifying centers (click my name). Only Ryan Collins is worse. How does that get you max?

  • http://www.slamonline.com spit hot fiyah

    unbelievable, 7 footers and players 35 + r killing it this off season

  • Tyquez foster

    Lopez can ball he stay hurt still young good move….

  • Bravo

    Damn that’s way to much money for him. Oh well nets gon be shit anyways

  • http://www.newyorkshockexchange.com Shock Exchange

    The league is a “Player’s Market.” The salaries are driven by television contracts (NBC, ABC, CBS, ESPN, TNT) instead of attendance or individual production. As long as people keep tuning in, it’s all good.

  • Sheed

    the nets have enough scoring with Dwill and JJ and Wallace… i would much rather have Kris Humphries, someone who can actually rebound the ball…

  • Heals

    I know contracts like these for players like Brook make the lockout seem trivial in retrospect, but these recent signings have more to do with the Luxury Tax and when the harshest penalties go in effect for going over the threshold (Thanks Bucher). The real consequences won’t go into effect until next summer ot the one after that so it’s a sort of “smash and grab” until then…

  • pposse

    was this a part of D Will and Howards masterplan thats ‘been in discussion for years’??

  • Mas

    I think this is the better course of action for the Nets. Keep Lopez and let him play with All Star guards for the first time in his career. He moves well in the paint and has great hands. D-Will and Joe will make him a 20 Point guy easy. On the rebounds Hump will do most of the dirty work and Lopez will clean up after him. Good 5-4 combo. Wallace also grabs a good number of boards. I think Howard would have gutted a good team. Now its a solid and deep team in a regular 82 game season. If you don’t like Brooklyn much Newark will always be here. RIP NJ Nets.

  • Mas

    If rebounds are so damn important can someone name the leading rebounder of the Heat?

  • http://www.nba.com/statistics/player/Rebounds.jsp?league=00&season=22010&conf=OVERALL&position=1&splitType=9&qualified=Y&yearsExp=-1&sortOrder=7&splitDD=All%20Teams L Dribble

    ^^^^LeBron James and Chris Bosh – 8 per game.

  • Jer dawG

    Good for him getting Max deal. But off production he stinks. We are looking at another lockout in next few years again. Leading the way are Brook Lopez and Roy Hibbert of overpaid and unproductive players. Non superstars.
    The Joe Johnson of this era, before that was Allan Houston. But I’m missing many other bad contracts.

  • http://www.newyorkshockexchange.com Shock Exchange

    Two harsh realities here – (i) The Nets can’t “play cash” so not signing Lopez may be worse alternative than actually signing him and (ii) The NBA can step on the product 6, 7, 8 times “and still … take the cake.”

  • thor

    Mas@ They rebound as a team

  • http://www.fullc0urtpress.com KHOLIDAY05

    Dont think Brook is a max deal player, but the lack of quality centers in the league will get a guy like Brook max deal money. Guess D-12 coming to Brooklyn is a dead deal….for now

  • Orlando Woolridge (RIP)

    Too much money for Lopez. The nets have a nice lineup now, but I don’t think they have a chance against the Heat without Howard. They are tying up a lot of money to compete for 2nd place in the east.

  • http://www.twitter.com/hurstysyd Hursty

    For what it’s worth, Jeff Green is about to be paid the same amount as Rajon Rondo. Take that however you want.
    And Brook Lopez scored 38 points in 20% of his games last year. He also only played in 5 games. It’s about perspective.

  • RIGGS

    HE’S NO DWIGHT HOWARD.

  • Ronnie

    Damn…to be tall and marginally talented..

  • http://slamonline.com Krishan

    Most interesting here is the protection against future injuries on his foot. The biggest red flag right now is his fragility cause his other weaknesses can be worked on since he’s young. We’ll see.

  • triyo

    Before Humphries got to the Nets Lopez was putting up 8-9 boards a game, not to mention his offensive game is probably only second to Bynum at the Center position. I dont think hes a max guy, but if Hibbert is getting that then lopez definitely should.

  • FnF

    I think this is more of making the salaries workout for trade purposes. Brook is/was set to make $4M next season while Dwight makes $19M. They can’t trade them straight up so that is why we have all of these other meaningless players thrown around in the trade rumors. Players Brooklyn would have to sign-&-trade. Well if someone doesn’t want to told where they are playing next season, they can throw a wrench into the mega deal. Brook getting a closer salary to Dwight eliminates some of the possible wrenches to this ordeal. Dude was a key component on a TWELVE win team, of course he isn’t a max salary player.

  • LA Huey

    I needed a chuckle this morning. Can’t wait to see Hibbert and Lopez match up this season.

  • http://redoftoothandclaw.ca/ niQ

    Max deal for Brook Lopez? LLLOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!

  • triyo

    What if Lopez balls out like Yao did in his 4th year?

  • Ash

    He doesn’t deserve a max deal from either team. Sad.

  • LP

    I’d let lopez go….not a max deal. too much money tied up…

  • http://www.slamonline.com Wayno

    It’s really a matter of if not him, then who? There’s a shortage of skilled 7 footers in the game, so naturally they’re going to be overpaid. If they can’t get Dwight, he’s clearly thier best option at center. When he’s healthy he’s a beast on offense, plus with Humphries and Wallace, he doesn’t really need to grab 10-12 rebounds per game. He needs to clog the middle on defense and provide post scoring.

  • Gregg

    I guess they drafted Joe Johnson and caught the max-deal bug soon after.

  • Mas

    I see Lopez being a solid center in the L for the next 7 to 10 years. Give him a chance to play with D-Will a full season and then make a call on his game. 7 Ft guy always get paid dumb money: Eddy Curry, Jerome (____) I can’t remember his last name both overpiad by the NYK.
    Now Hibbert is next. Darko. And the list goes on.

  • kobe

    Why are they doing this to themselves. Okay you dont get howard don’t overpay someone just because. They are going to rgret this cause they can get him for so much less and he knows what he’s worth lets not lie here.

  • bike

    Clearly a case of being in the right place at the right time. No one wants to play center anymore.

  • beasting

    no one can play center anymore

  • http://www.slamonline.com TADOne

    When Lopez was healthy 2 seasons ago, he was killing it and everyone was talking about how great he could be. If he stays healthy, I think he will be posting monster offensive numbers again. If he gets hurt or the surgeries limit him, than it will look like a bad contract. I will withold my judgement until then.

  • Red

    It seems by today’s standards that if I had of grown a foot taller I would be in the NBA and would be max player too. Wasn’t there a lock out this season past? Half the teams were appearently losing money but today Brook Lopez is a max player? WTF!!

  • http://www.reverbnation.com/tray24 T-Ray

    So I would say the Nets are either calling the Magic’s bluff with Howard or are just totally through with it. Personally I think they can compete with the team they have. Yes Lopez getting 8 boards a game is unacceptable but when healthy he is a good center and a low post presence.

  • http://www.slamonline.com TADOne

    You guys do realize that Lopez played all 82 games in his first 3 season in the league, right? His PPG average his first 3 seasons were 13.0, 18.8 and 20.4. His RPG for his career are 7.5. Not good but not bad. Lopez is a good player. If he averages 20 pts and 8-9 rebounds a game, that is better than 90% of the big men in the L.

  • http://www.slamonline.com 19821982

    Lopez is a good center, I don’t think that’s ever been in question. Maybe some people have never heard much about him, and assume he’s garbage. But Maxxing him out seems crazy – they can’t get rid of him via trade and now they want to max him out?

  • http://www.slamonline.com 19821982

    If they keep him Humphries is staying then, right? That’s not a bad front court, especially with their starting perimeter…

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    they have to keep Lopez. No matter the cost.
    .
    And Humphries is gone. No way he stays with Brooklyn. Just gotta consider the non-basketball factors involved. And the fact that Brooklyn likely won’t sign him to the 4 year, 36(ish) million dollar deal he’s looking for.

  • AiRsMiTh

    @ Mas. Completely agree with you. I’m not too big on Brook, because I haven’t seen him play too much, but he’s seven feet tall, young, and can score (he scores pretty well, you almost don’t expect it). He doesn’t get enough boards, which has always been a criticim of him, but I think the Nets should be able to rebound well enough as a team. And they have lots of firepower on offense. I think Brooklyn has an interesting team. Could make some noise.

  • http://www.nba.com/2012/news/features/david_aldridge/07/09/morning-tip-free-agency/index.html Allenp

    TAD
    Stop using logic and stats. You should know better.
    And his rebounds are bad. No way around it. 7.5 is very bad, particularly for a center. But, rebounding is an effort stat, with some technique. He was a 20 ppg scorer before he started getting hurt. And he was in the conversation for second best center in the League.

  • JL

    Lopez is an elite scoring center (who else scores 20+?). Just Dwight, and nobody will confuse their offensive repertoire. His rebounding however is bad. But could be due to Humpfries grabbing everything and he just doesn’t want to get hurt. He did average 8 a game before Mr. Kardashian showed up, so it’s not super bad.

  • http://www.slamonline.com TADOne

    Either way, I still Dwight is in play for the Nets. I think they floated this news to try and call Orlando’s bluff.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    TAD is one of the better commenters SLAM has ever had.

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