Not long ago, it was a no-brainer for the LA Clippers to decline Brook Lopez’s upcoming team option for next season. He was not reliable, a liability on both sides of the ball, and for a stretch, out of Tyronn Lue’s rotation. But the soon-to-be 38-year-old played his way into making his future with the Clippers a tougher, unavoidable decision than the front office once anticipated, and now, no one knows what to do.
It’s either: find a young center on the market and make Lopez an unrestricted free agent, or trust that his body can sustain another year of high-pressure basketball and keep him around on an expiring contract.
There’s literally no in between, and in all honesty, both sides make sense. It all just comes down to which direction Lawrence Frank is most confident in, because as everyone knows, he would rather be safe than sorry.
The smarter decision for the Clippers might be to keep Brook Lopez around
Yes, Brook Lopez did have a horrible start to his tenure with the LA Clippers. He did not leave a good first impression, and it was held against him for quite some time. But, based on his recent play, he deserves flowers, and ultimately the opportunity to stay in red, white, and blue.
Since the trade deadline(Feb. 5), Lopez has averaged 12.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 0.9 blocks in 28.3 minutes, shooting 49.6% from the floor and 40.4% from beyond the arc.
This is ridiculously impressive, and just like the Clippers made a turnaround, Lopez did the same for himself. He is legitimately looking like one of the better signings of the summer(two-year, $17.9 million).
Additionally, it’s worth noting that Lopez has been healthy thus far. While this was to be expected, as he was the Milwaukee Bucks’ iron man for three straight seasons, seeing him do it for the Clippers in a new system has been a joy.
Logically speaking, Lawrence Frank should trust the numbers and exercise the one-time All-Star’s team option. He’s just too good to pass up when the decision is in the Clippers’ hands, even if it contradicts the movement to gravitate towards youth.
Additionally, the center rotation will stay intact with Isaiah Jackson as the backup, giving Yanic Konan Niederhauser as much breathing room as he needs to recover from the injury that ended his rookie season.
At the end of the day, the NBA is a business. This often calls for choices that are best for the team’s future, and if the Clippers believe that is not with Lopez, no one would fault them.