Report: Knicks finalizing four-year agreement with Robin Lopez
The New York Knicks and center Robin Lopez agreed in principle Friday to a deal for four years worth a reported $54 million, according to Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal will have no player or team options for any of the four years, according to Bleacher Report's Howard Beck.
One circumstance that was thought to be a threat to the deal's official completion was Los Angeles Clippers' big man DeAndre Jordan potentially having a "change of heart" and signing with the Knicks.
That eventuality was ruled out later Friday, with Wojnarowski reporting that Jordan has eliminated the Knicks from his list of potential teams.
Lopez, a seven-year NBA veteran, played the past two seasons for the Portland Trail Blazers. During the 2013–14 season he averaged career highs in minutes-per-game (31.7) and rebounds-per-game (8.5). He also scored 11.1 points per contest.
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Those numbers all decreased slightly during the 2014–15 season. This past postseason, Lopez was held to just 5.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game during the Trail Blazers' five-game playoff run that ended in an opening-series loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Lopez's deal, which cannot be officially completed until July 9, will mean that he will play in the same metropolitan area as his brother Brook, a post player for the Brooklyn Nets.
Both brothers played at Stanford for two seasons before declaring for the 2008 NBA draft.