The only thing more enticing than a lot of money is even more money.
That's why despite, how odd it may seem on the surface, Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez has always seemed a candidate to decline his $16.7-million 2015-16 player option.
Lopez potentially declining the option - making him a de facto expiring contract - was something that got pointed out ahead of the trade deadline, when Lopez was a hot name. No deal got done, and Lopez has instead turned into a late-season force as the Nets push to the playoffs on an 11-3 run.
It's that run of success and a run of health - Lopez has appeared in 67 games - that has Lopez thinking free agency. League executives expect Lopez to opt out of his deal to hit the market this summer, according to Grantland's Zach Lowe. And it's easy to see why, even if hitting the free agent market when the cap explodes in 2016 may be the more enticing option for a player without injury concerns.
The 27-year-old, 7-footer has played five, 74, 17 and 67 games in the past four seasons, and opting out now for a long-term deal would provide security that he'd risk by playing out next season on an expiring contract. Factor in that he's averaging 17.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks while shooting 51.5 percent, numbers that have trended upward over the last month, and it's probably the right decision.
It will be interesting to see what kind of contract Lopez demands, given his obvious talents - scoring and shot-blocking - and limitations - rebounding and defending away from the rim. There are few bigs that can score like he can, and while the cap space-starved Nets may welcome him opting out, there are surely teams willing to work Lopez into an offense at an eight-figure salary.
