{"id":148158,"date":"2025-06-30T20:55:48","date_gmt":"2025-07-01T00:55:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=148158"},"modified":"2025-06-30T20:55:48","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T00:55:48","slug":"brook-lopez-los-angeles-clippers-free-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/06\/30\/brook-lopez-los-angeles-clippers-free-agency\/","title":{"rendered":"Brook Lopez Ends Up in Los Angeles, but with the Clippers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/l\/lopezbr01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brook Lopez<\/a> was one of the more coveted <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/06\/27\/top-cheap-free-agent-centers\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">big men<\/a> in free agency, and in the end, he chose the Los Angeles Clippers. To be fair, the Los Angeles Lakers probably never made an offer because they switched their offseason strategy. For a while, Lopez to LA was a done deal, and when everyone expected him to sign with the Lakers, he went for the \u201csecond team\u201d in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<h2>Brook Lopez Ends Up in Los Angeles, but with the Clippers<\/h2>\n<p>Lopez signed a two-year, $18 million contract to play for the Clippers. He will probably serve as the backup center to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/z\/zubaciv01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ivica Zubac<\/a>, who had a career year last season.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Free agent center Brook Lopez has agreed to a two-year, $18 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, sources tell ESPN. Clippers and Lopez&#39;s agents at Wasserman negotiate a new deal for the 2021 Bucks champion to exit Milwaukee and land in Los Angeles. <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vmxiXtoGqu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/vmxiXtoGqu<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ShamsCharania\/status\/1939833558400418291?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 30, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>At 37 years old, Brook brings experience and three-point shooting to the Clippers. During his days with the Milwaukee Bucks, Lopez was a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate, but he never won the award. He provides rim protection and spacing. In the past three seasons, he shot better than 36% from behind the arc on at least 4.7 attempts. He also averaged better than 1.9 blocks.<\/p>\n<p>Lopez took a significant pay cut this year, but that is due to his age and reduced production. He is 37 years old, and not many players thrive when they reach that age. Last season, he played for $23 million. And for the next two seasons, he will earn $9 million. That contract makes him a good trade candidate if things do not pan out in Los Angeles. Since last season, the Clippers are making smart decisions regarding their cap space.<\/p>\n<h3>How Lopez Helps the Clippers<\/h3>\n<p>Last season, the Clippers used <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bambamo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mo Bamba<\/a> as their backup center, but they traded him at the deadline. They had no reliable backup center, and at times, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/batumni01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nicolas Batum<\/a> had to fill in. With Lopez, they get a big who can deliver 20 to 25 minutes of quality minutes. He averaged 30+ minutes in the last three seasons. Despite his age, Brook is a reliable player, missing only nine games in the past three seasons.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_148178\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-148178\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-148178 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/06\/USATSI_25967437_168402037_lowres-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Apr 19, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez (11) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/06\/USATSI_25967437_168402037_lowres-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/06\/USATSI_25967437_168402037_lowres-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/06\/USATSI_25967437_168402037_lowres-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/06\/USATSI_25967437_168402037_lowres-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/06\/USATSI_25967437_168402037_lowres-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/06\/USATSI_25967437_168402037_lowres-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/06\/USATSI_25967437_168402037_lowres.jpg 1974w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-148178\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Apr 19, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez (11) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>What is Next for the Clippers?<\/h3>\n<p>The Clippers have had a busy offseason so far. They re-signed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hardeja01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">James Harden<\/a> to a <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/06\/29\/james-hardens-81-5-million-extension-gives-clippers-major-boost\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">two-year deal<\/a>, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nba\/story\/_\/id\/45619586\/sources-nicolas-batum-returning-clippers-opt-out\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">did the same<\/a> with Nicolas Batum, and now they inked Lopez. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/coffeam01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Amir Coffey<\/a> is another free agent they should take care of, and then try to use the remaining mid-level exception to add another rotational piece. It will be interesting to see whether they negotiate a contract extension with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/p\/powelno01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Norman Powell<\/a> as well. He had a career year last season and can sign a new, four-year extension this offseason. Right now, it seems like they will run it back with almost the same core as last year and hope for better health for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/l\/leonaka01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kawhi Leonard<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Looking at their payroll, the Clippers have two more years of trying to win a title with Kawhi. Both Leonard and Harden are now signed through 2026-27, and if things do not go their way, they can either trade them or wipe the slate clean in the summer of 2027.<\/p>\n<h3>How did the Lakers Give Lopez to the Clippers?<\/h3>\n<p>The Lakers were considered the most active team to get Lopez, but their plans changed thanks to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/aytonde01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Deandre Ayton<\/a>\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/06\/30\/report-lakers-deandre-ayton-free-agency\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">buyout<\/a> with the Portland Trail Blazers. According to the latest reports, LA is confident they can get Ayton, who is a younger and more athletic big. They hope that the former No. 1 pick can be a great partner with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/doncilu01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Luka Doncic<\/a> for years to come. With the Lakers out of the picture, the Clippers swooped in and arguably the best center on the market.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a9 Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Brook Lopez was one of the more coveted big men in free agency, and in the end, he chose the Los Angeles Clippers. To be fair, the Los Angeles Lakers probably never made an offer because they switched their offseason strategy. For a while, Lopez to LA was a done deal, and when everyone expected [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5291,"featured_media":148177,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,27,26,62,3],"tags":[233,1419,652,444,168],"class_list":["post-148158","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-clippers","category-lakers","category-nba","category-news","tag-brook-lopez","tag-deandre-ayton","tag-ivica-zubac","tag-james-harden","tag-kawhi-leonard"],"modified_by":"Jordan Pagkalinawan","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148158","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5291"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=148158"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148158\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":148184,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148158\/revisions\/148184"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/148177"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=148158"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=148158"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=148158"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}