Should Los Angeles Lakers Pursue Brook Lopez?

An interesting tidbit surfaced in a Grantland article Tuesday that Brooklyn Nets’ Brook Lopez could opt-out of his $16M deal and become a free agent this upcoming summer. Lopez has been outstanding since the All-Star break. In the last ten games, he’s averaging 25.6 points and 8.8 rebounds while shooting 60-percent.

Real GM echoed the report

Take the report how you like but for argument’s sake let’s say Lopez opts-out. The Los Angeles Lakers will have approximately $30 million in cap space to sign free agents. The Lakers will be in search of another impact player or two to help the franchise reach prominence once again. A 27-year-old Lopez fits the bill.

More from LA Sports Hub

• Lakers: 5 Players to Target Through Trades to make another championship run
• LA Chargers: Week 8 against Denver Broncos is a must-win
• LA Rams: Jared Goff wants to keep the Los Angeles title streak going
• Lakers Rumors: Los Angeles Clippers interested in Rajon Rondo
• LA Chargers: Justin Herbert wins AFC Rookie of the Month

The 7-footer is one of the most offensively gifted big men in the NBA. His only deterrent is health. The past three years he has not completed an 82-game season. Despite his injury problems, he’s averaged 17 points and 7 rebounds in his 6-year career.

Lopez is hoping to land a max-deal in the summer of 2015. The salary cap will increase substantially by 2016 and the talented big-man will look to capitalize on his fine form. The Lakers should definitely pounce on this opportunity to sign a star player to go along with Julius Randle. They would form a formidable frontcourt.

Given Lopez’s injury past, I don’t think he will get a max-deal. If that’s what it takes, then the Lakers should walk away. If Los Angeles can convince the 6-year pro to take a lesser monetary deal to come play in his home state, then it could change the course of the franchise in a positive way. Lopez is from the L.A. area and went to school at Stanford. His roots are tied to California.

Laker fans may cringe at signing an injury-prone big-man, but even with his health issues, he’s still a better option than Jordan Hill, Ed Davis and Robert Sacre. Hill, Davis and Sacre are good role players, not starters. He brings more offensive scoring from the post, which the Lakers lack. Lopez has an array of post moves paired with a nice outside jumper that makes him one of the top post players in the NBA.

Live Feed

Lake Show Life

The knock on Lopez is his rebounding deficiency for a seven-footer. He’s not the most athletic but still manages to average seven boards a game. Hill and Davis are definitely more athletic than Lopez, and they average the same amount of rebounds with less playing time. But would you trust either of the two to get you a bucket down on the block? I’ll take my chances with Lopez in the post. As far as his defense, he averages nearly two blocks for his career.

The Lakers (20-56) have six games remaining this season and are already planning for next season. They have found some good pieces in Jordan Clarkson, Jabari Brown, Ryan Kelly, Wayne Ellington and Tarik Black. They may have as many as four draft picks, including a top-5 draft choice to continue to add to Kobe Bryant and Nick Young.

If they can sign Lopez in the offseason at a reasonable deal ($10-13), they can have space to add another impact player (or re-sign Hill and Davis). Also, a healthy (knock on wood) Kobe and Randle and an emerging star in Clarkson plus a multitude of picks to add much needed depth to a squad that was demolished by injuries this season. The Lakers can find themselves in good position to contend as soon as next season with the addition of Lopez.

More from Los Angeles Lakers

• Lakers: 5 Players to Target Through Trades to make another championship run
• Lakers Rumors: Los Angeles Clippers interested in Rajon Rondo
• Lakers Rumors: Jason Kidd no longer being considered for Pelicans job
• Lakers Rumors: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Rajon Rondo expected to opt out
• Los Angeles Lakers are finally the 2020 NBA Champions

It’s a huge risk to sign a big-man with a history of foot issues. On the other hand, the benefits could be exponentially better if he stays healthy. A bonafide 20-point scorer who is entering his prime, paired with a highly-rated Randle is definitely worth the risk. The thought of Marc Gasol, LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Love joining the purple and gold are unlikely.

Perhaps Lopez is tired of all the trade rumors he’s been involved in with the Nets. He may want to join a club that wants his services. The Lakers have been interested in the big-man before. Maybe he wants to reunite with his twin brother Robin Lopez, who is a free agent in 2015. L.A. seems like a plausible destination.

In the end, this report could be all hearsay, but what else do Laker fans have at this point, but hope. Hope for their misfortunes to turn for the better quickly. If Lopez does opt-out, Los Angeles makes sense.