Brook Lopez to sign 4-year, $61 million contract with Nets

[StartOrien]

Take the pu pu platter from Houston with the draft picks and be done with it.  Bynum doesn't want to play there, and probably doesn't want to play in Houston either.  

If I'm Andrew Bynum, I want to stay in LA.  Period. he will be the marquee FA next summer (if Howard doesn't get his trade and re-up), and if he's traded elsewhere, he will be able to hold that team hostage a la Dwight.  

If I'm Andrew Bynum, I'm a moron, and haven't the least idea what I'm going to do, because I'm either immature or stupid.

EDIT: Seriously though, there isn't a chance in the world that w/ his knees, Andrew Bynum doesn't sign with whatever team can offer him the most money. If they get him, they'll keep him.

[OsirusCeltics]

I smell sign and trade

Nets ended trade negotiations for Howard. They needed to know if they had him by today for cap reasons or something from what I heard on ESPN Radio.

Well they suspended it. You may be right that they officially ended negotiations, but it could be a secret among both teams to get Howard to NJ

[Lucky17]

Wojo says it'll be 4 years, $61 million for Brook Lopez.

Adrian Wojnarowski ‏@WojYahooNBA

Brooklyn has reached agreement on a 4-year, $61 million max deal with Brook Lopez, league source tells Y! Sports.

No more Dwight to Brooklyn nonsense this summer.

[celtsfan84]

I smell sign and trade

Nets ended trade negotiations for Howard. They needed to know if they had him by today for cap reasons or something from what I heard on ESPN Radio.

Well they suspended it. You may be right that they officially ended negotiations, but it could be a secret among both teams to get Howard to NJ

With Brook Lopez signing the extension, he can't be traded until January 15th, according to Larry Coon.

With all of the free agents needed to make the Nets deal work (like Kris Humphries), it would be almost impossible to replicate the current deal.  The offer by the Nets would have to be worse.

I think he's overrated, but Kris Humphries isn't staying unemployed until January to support this possibility.  Of course, he could re-sign with Brooklyn.  But then the Magic (or a third team) would have to trade for him under Brooklyn's contract terms, not under their own.

And of course, Orlando might find an alternative deal (with Houston, Los Angeles, or Atlanta) before then. 

Also, a sign-and-trade at the end of the year will be all but impossible.  Starting in 2013-2014, teams $4 million above the tax (Brooklyn) can't do sign-and-trades.

It is still possible, I guess, but an Orlando-Brooklyn deal just got alot tougher.

[ScottHow]

As the days go by it's looking more and more like Howard is going to LA. Makes me sick.

[Lucky17]

Wow, this is what $288 million of a Russian billionaire's money will get you:

Deron Williams (5 years, $98 million)
Gerald Wallace (4 years, $40 million)
Joe Johnson (remaining 4 years, $89 million)
Brook Lopez (4 years, $61 million)

Lockout, shmockout.

[BballTim]

Wow, this is what $288 million of a Russian billionaire's money will get you:

Deron Williams (5 years, $98 million)
Gerald Wallace (4 years, $40 million)
Joe Johnson (remaining 4 years, $89 million)
Brook Lopez (4 years, $61 million)

Lockout, shmockout.

  In other words, pretty much everything except for that they really wanted.

[TA9]

Whats up with Big Guys getting overpaid in this league? Miss them old days where every deal had some sense in them.

[Vermont Green]

I am not saying that Brook Lopez is worth $15M+ per year but the Nets are going to be a really good team even without Howard (wouldn't they need to give up Wallace and Lopez?).  I predict that in the long run, they are better off without his clown antics/dramatics.

Gerald Wallace is almost unstoppable as the pick-and-pop'er and with DW running the show, Johnson setting up in the corner, and Lopez near the basket waiting for his man to cheat over to a penetrating DW, wow.

[celtsfan84]

I am not saying that Brook Lopez is worth $15M+ per year but the Nets are going to be a really good team even without Howard (wouldn't they need to give up Wallace and Lopez?).  I predict that in the long run, they are better off without his clown antics/dramatics.

Gerald Wallace is almost unstoppable as the pick-and-pop'er and with DW running the show, Johnson setting up in the corner, and Lopez near the basket waiting for his man to cheat over to a penetrating DW, wow.

Yeah, but now they have a slower backcourt and no defense at the rim.  Sure, they can score.  But how do they keep LeBron and Wade from the rim?  You need a KG, Chandler, or dare I say, Dwight to protect the rim against them.

Or at least a stopper in the backcourt.  They don't have that either.

This has the makings of a pretty poor defensive team.

[Neurotic Guy]

As the days go by it's looking more and more like Howard is going to LA. Makes me sick.

You know, it has been feeling a lot like that disgusting, sickening summer that Shaq was toying with the city of Orlando's heart  -- enevtually forcing the Magic to offer an enormous contract only to set up the rejection of them in order to take less money and join LA.  I watched that drama unfold with bile stuck in my throat as the 2 best players on the planet converged and subsequently won 3 titles.  Almost as gut-wrenching was the Chris Wallace gift of Pau, providing 2 more titles.

It has felt since day 1 this summer that it was only a matter of time before LA would find a way to get Dwight.  Of course, they managed to get Nash first. Eventually, they'll send their injury prone knucklehead away and get Superman in return. That's the way it's gone since Wilt Chamberlain.

I am going away on vacation on Saturday -- I am going to try to avoid reading anything NBA related in fear of ruining my time away with the inevitable news.

[Vermont Green]

I am not saying that Brook Lopez is worth $15M+ per year but the Nets are going to be a really good team even without Howard (wouldn't they need to give up Wallace and Lopez?).  I predict that in the long run, they are better off without his clown antics/dramatics.

Gerald Wallace is almost unstoppable as the pick-and-pop'er and with DW running the show, Johnson setting up in the corner, and Lopez near the basket waiting for his man to cheat over to a penetrating DW, wow.

Yeah, but now they have a slower backcourt and no defense at the rim.  Sure, they can score.  But how do they keep LeBron and Wade from the rim?  You need a KG, Chandler, or dare I say, Dwight to protect the rim against them.

Or at least a stopper in the backcourt.  They don't have that either.

This has the makings of a pretty poor defensive team.

I agree that they need more than 4 players to win, they may end up with Humphreys as their tough guy.  I don't expect them to win it all this year but they have a really good start.  There are teams that have won championships without Dwight Howard.

I also think I rate DW much higher than it seems you do.  I think he and Johnson will defend just fine and won't Wallace be as good on LeBron as pretty much anyone else?  Is there any such thing as a LeBron stopper?

[celtsfan84]

I am not saying that Brook Lopez is worth $15M+ per year but the Nets are going to be a really good team even without Howard (wouldn't they need to give up Wallace and Lopez?).  I predict that in the long run, they are better off without his clown antics/dramatics.

Gerald Wallace is almost unstoppable as the pick-and-pop'er and with DW running the show, Johnson setting up in the corner, and Lopez near the basket waiting for his man to cheat over to a penetrating DW, wow.

Yeah, but now they have a slower backcourt and no defense at the rim.  Sure, they can score.  But how do they keep LeBron and Wade from the rim?  You need a KG, Chandler, or dare I say, Dwight to protect the rim against them.

Or at least a stopper in the backcourt.  They don't have that either.

This has the makings of a pretty poor defensive team.

I agree that they need more than 4 players to win, they may end up with Humphreys as their tough guy.  I don't expect them to win it all this year but they have a really good start.  There are teams that have won championships without Dwight Howard.

I also think I rate DW much higher than it seems you do.  I think he and Johnson will defend just fine and won't Wallace be as good on LeBron as pretty much anyone else?  Is there any such thing as a LeBron stopper?

DeShawn Stevenson and Shawn Marion is a nice start.

Paul Pierce and James Posey worked fine too.

Not to mention that once you get by them, you have a big man with lateral quickness to protect the rim - KG and Chandler.  Their lateral quickness helps on Wade and LeBron's drives and helps defend pick and rolls.

Having two elite defenders on the wing and a quick footed intimidator in the low post increases your chances of beating the Heat.  This should be flatly obvious.

Teams have won the NBA title without Dwight, indeed.  They've also won it without Deron, Joe Johnson, Wallace, Humphries, and Lopez.  This dream team has also combined for zero championships.

And what kind of start is it really if they don't win the NBA title soon?  Joe Johnson and Gerald Wallace are both already on the decline.  This isn't exactly the Thunder.

This is a quality team, no doubt.  But I don't see a true contender and I see an aging team with no salary flexibility.  Nobody will trade for their contracts, they will only have the taxpayer's MLE, they won't be able to do sign-and-trades after this year, their draft picks will be in the 20s.  How do they get better before they get worse?