Empire Writes Back
Fansided

Brooklyn Nets Finalizing Contracts With Brook Lopez, Thaddeus Young

By Kenneth Teape

facebooktwitterreddit

The Brooklyn Nets didn’t waste any time retaining their two most important free agents in Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young, as both are finalizing contracts with the Nets as we speak.

The NBA Free Agency period began at 12:01 AM; the Brooklyn Nets got going on new contracts for their two biggest free agent targets, Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young, seconds after. There was never much debate about whether Lopez or Young would leave the Nets, so it comes as no surprise that they were re-signed but how quickly it materialized could be a surprise to some.

Also on Empire Writes Back: Who was the best Net of 2014?

According to Yahoo! Sports and Adrian Wojnarowski, both players are having their new contracts finalized as we speak. Lopez will receive a three-year contract worth $60 million. That seems like a steep amount from the outside, but the contract will have some protection for the Nets in case Lopez’s foot issues pop up again and he is forced to miss time. The pact is also expected to have an opt-out clause after the second season, as Lopez will look to cash in again that offseason when the NBA’s new television deal kicks in and the salary cap jumps drastically.

Last season Lopez averaged 17.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game in 72 games while playing 29.2 minutes per game. Lopez earned his contract though in the second half of the season, which he carried into the postseason. In the Nets series against the Atlanta Hawks, Lopez upped his averages to 19.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game as he became a difference maker on both ends of the court. While Lopez, who stands seven-feet tall, leaves some to be desired on the glass, he makes up for it being one of the most gifted big men in the NBA offensively.

More from Brooklyn Nets

From the Nets, Young will be receiving a four-year contract worth $50 million. Such as with Lopez, the Nets made it clear that retaining Young was a priority for the offseason. It became even more important to bring Young back after they traded Mason Plumlee to the Portland Trail Blazers on draft night. Because of that, it was imperative to bring him back and he will be locked into the starting power forward spot next season.

Young was brought in at the NBA Trade deadline last season in a deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves that saw Kevin Garnett go back to where he began his NBA career. With the Nets, Young averaged 13.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Unlike Lopez, Young struggled a little bit in the playoffs. His scoring and shooting percentages dropped, but he was able to grab 7.2 rebounds a game.

With both Lopez and Young back in the fold, the Nets can rest a little easier as the summer goes on. If they had not retained both players, the Nets would be in a tough spot without much of a core. Both players are 27-years old, giving the Nets some legitimate building blocks, especially Lopez is he stays healthy.

They give the Nets one of the better power forward – center combinations in the NBA and should be able to rely on them heavily, much like head coach Lionel Hollins did in his previous stop with the Memphis Grizzlies when he ran everything through Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol.

Next: Brooklyn Nets NBA Draft grades

More from Empire Writes Back

Home/Brooklyn Nets