Robin Lopez and Knicks Reportedly Agree to 4-Year Contract
Free-agent center Robin Lopez is headed to the New York Knicks.
ESPN's Marc Stein reported Lopez and the Knicks agreed to a four-year, $54 million contract, (via SportsCenter).
The team began pursuing Lopez after missing out on Greg Monroe, Wojnarowski reported on July 2. ESPN's Marc Stein added that Lopez has committed to join the team unless DeAndre Jordan surprisingly joins the Knicks.
The 7-foot, 255-pound Lopez isn't a bad fallback plan for the Knicks. He's just 27 years old and been a productive complementary option for most of his NBA career, averaging 8.2 points and five rebounds per game. The former first-round pick has also proved to be a solid starter the past three years, averaging 10.8 points and 7.0 boards per game during stints with the then-New Orleans Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers.
While Lopez technically fills a need in New York, giving the Knicks the kind of interior presence they've been desperately lacking, he's hardly the player they want. The Knicks have been looking to make a splash in free agency, and while Lopez is a perfectly serviceable player, he's hardly the star they're wanting. It's also unclear how his skill set will fit into the triangle offense head coach Derek Fisher runs.
Teams are always looking for size, as the 2015 NBA draft showed, with Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor each going in the top three. Lopez has, for the most part, been able to stay healthy with the exception of a broken hand that limited him to 59 games last year.
Not every player on the market is going to be a difference-making star. Role players like Lopez can turn into some of the best bargains on the open market with the right fit.
