Milwaukee Bucks: Grades for Robin Lopez’s two-year, $9.7 million deal

Value

Having just turned 31, Lopez’s play has yet to show any evidence of a drop-off. He continued to produce at a very high level for the Chicago Bulls over the past three seasons, even as his role fluctuated to make room for additional minutes for the Bulls’ talented young big men.

Taking that very brief backdrop into account, the fact the Bucks have snapped up Lopez at the cheapest contract he’s been on since the end of his rookie deal points to very obvious value.

With the room exception rounding out at just over $4.7 million per season, the possibility of having Lopez for two years at such a reasonable cost is an undoubted positive. The fact that it comes in at just $10 million less than what he was paid by the Bulls last season makes it all the more appealing.

A quick look around the flurry of early moves in the free agent market also indicates the Bucks should be very pleased with the value of this deal. Let’s take a moment to look at some of those points of comparison:

• Dewayne Dedmon, who’s just one-year younger than Lopez signed a three-year, $40 million deal with the Kings.
• The Nets signed a post-prime DeAndre Jordan for four years, $40 million for his part in helping Brooklyn to land Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
• Julius Randle got three years, $63 million from the Knicks.
• Jonas Valanciunas re-signed for three-years, $45 million with the Grizzlies.
• Bobby Portis earned two-years, $31 million from the Wizards, while Thomas Bryant also signed with Washington for three-years, $25 million.
• Taj Gibson landed two-years, $20 million from the Knicks.
• While in perhaps the deal most similar to Robin’s in terms of player role, personality and value, Ed Davis agreed to join the Jazz for two years, $10 million.

Kevon Looney, DeMarcus Cousins and Enes Kanter remain as some of the notable centers remaining in free agency, but of the deals so far, there has yet to be a big man of Lopez’s caliber signed for anywhere close to the low price he has agreed to with the Bucks.

There’s a definite debate to be had about whether the Bucks could have used the room exception at another position, but the reality is, prior to this deal, they didn’t have any true backup center to cover Robin’s brother Brook. Now, they have one of the best backup centers in the NBA on an extremely appealing deal.

There’s a real chance that Lopez could have earned a little bit more elsewhere, but in the end a deal to join his brother and contend with the Bucks likely won out.