The Clippers landed a veteran center in the first few hours of free agency on Monday, agreeing to a two-year, $18 million contract with Brook Lopez. The former Milwaukee Buck will back up starting center Ivica Zubac, who he played with on the Lakers for one season.
The move brings Lopez back home, having been born in North Hollywood.
At 7-foot-1, the 37-year-old Lopez provides the Clippers with a quality stretch option off the bench and someone who should ease Zubac’s workload. Without a solid backup, Zubac averaged nearly 33 minutes per game last season.
After his one season with the Lakers, Lopez joined the Bucks as a free agent, where he played alongside forward Giannis Antetokounmpo for the past seven seasons and helped the team win the 2021 NBA title.
Last season, he averaged 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.9 blocked shots while shooting 37.3% from 3-point range. A 2013 All-Star, Lopez was the runner-up for the 2023 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.
The Clippers made finding a center one of their offseason priorities and reportedly had been interested in acquiring Clint Capela or Luke Kornet. Capela agreed to return to the Houston Rockets, where he played his first six NBA seasons, while Kornet is leaving Boston to join the San Antonio Spurs.
The Clippers are still looking for a point guard to back up 11-time All-Star James Harden, who agreed to a new two-year, $81.5 million deal to stay with the team.
Earlier Monday, the Clippers agreed to a new deal to bring back versatile veteran forward Nicolas Batum.
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