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With Marcin Gortat around, Lopez is judged by a different standard now. He is a backup center, albeit one who said he would like more consistent minutes than some of his one-half-only appearances last season. "I'm just kind of weighing my options but I like it in Phoenix," Lopez said. Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Robin Lopez 

The Suns already made one decision on a free agent. Babby said that it is "quite likely, if not certain, that we're going to match" any offer sheet on restricted free agent Robin Lopez, a four-year Suns center. "He gave us a lot down the stretch this year," Babby said. "We need rim protection, and he gives that." The team's other restricted free agent, Aaron Brooks, was called an "important asset," although he can't be used in a sign-and-trade because he was not on the roster. Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Free Agency, Robin Lopez 

Paul Coro: Babby said it is "quite likely if not certain" that the #Suns will match any offer on restricted free agent Robin Lopez. Twitter

Phoenix Suns, Free Agency, Robin Lopez 

Los Angeles Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said Phoenix Suns center Robin Lopez should have been suspended for his flagrant foul on Blake Griffin last Thursday and shouldn't have been allowed to play until Griffin recovered from the injury he sustained. "I have an issue that Blake got hit that hard and he is in pain and he is still in pain and the player that did that played yesterday," Del Negro said. "I have a problem with that. I don't know how the league wants us to deal with that because then it will get out of hand." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Blake Griffin, Vinny Del Negro, Robin Lopez 

"To me it doesn't make a lot of sense when a player gets a flagrant 2 and he's able to play and the other player is still in pain," Del Negro said. "To me what makes sense is that player doesn't play until that player is healthy and playing. ... The league needs to step up and do something in terms of making a statement, not just for Blake but for any player." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Blake Griffin, Vinny Del Negro, Robin Lopez 

Robin Lopez was ejected from the game during the fourth quarter of the Phoenix Suns win over the Los Angeles Clippers. Lopez was called for a flagrant two foul after he hit Griffin to prevent him from getting an easy dunk. Griffin reported some discomfort in his neck as a result of the play and clearly wasn't happy with getting hit like that. Lopez said he was going for the ball and arms and was trying to prevent a layup. SB Nation

Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Blake Griffin, Robin Lopez 

Blake Griffin: "It's not the first time. I haven't seen it. It's tough to tell what goes down. It's part of the game. I don't think it's malicious or trying to hurt anybody but after a while it gets pretty frustrating only you've got to keep playing, you can't complain. "There is a line, there is definitely a line. When it gets crossed -- you know you can push all the way up to the line, the line is pretty fine but once you cross it gets pretty dangerous. That's the way it's been going so...I'll let every individual be the judge of that but I know what I felt and I know what what the impact of the play was. SB Nation

Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Blake Griffin, Robin Lopez 

Robin Lopez: "I was just going for the ball. He got by my and I was just trying to go for the ball then he got a bit farther (and I) tried to go for his arms. "It was what it was. It's my job to protect the rim and I tried to go for the ball then I tried to go for his arms." "People have kind of called Phoenix soft in the past and tonight, I think, we tried to do a good job of being the aggressors I suppose, especially near the end." SB Nation

Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Blake Griffin, Robin Lopez 

The Warriors will consider signing Robin Lopez in the offseason. San Francisco Chronicle

Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Free Agency, Robin Lopez 

With a Wednesday deadline looming, Phoenix Suns president of basketball operations Lon Babby said Tuesday night the team would not offer fourth- year center Robin Lopez a contract extension, making him a restricted free agent at season's end. "We reached out to (Lopez's agent) Arn Tellem and let him know that we were willing to engage in discussions to see if there was any common ground that might make sense," Babby said. "Their preference was to wait and see how things unfolded. We're perfectly fine with that. "We just wanted to make sure we made the appropriate overture. Everything was completely amicable." Fox Sports Arizona

Phoenix Suns, Robin Lopez 

When the Suns selected Robin Lopez 15th overall in the 2008 draft, he was considered the franchise's center of the future. His future with the Suns now appears it will be left to July free agency. The Suns have until Wednesday to come to a contract extension with Lopez but that appears unlikely. Lopez would then become a restricted free agent on July 1, meaning the Suns still could match any other team's offer sheet to him. Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby said he has had several discussions with Lopez's agent, Arn Tellem, to inquire about an extension. "We have talked to see if there was any common ground worth pursuing and I'd say it's unlikely at this time," Babby said. "It's been a completely amicable process. There really isn't any basis for doing a deal and we'll look at it again in the summer." Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Robin Lopez 

The Suns did show a willingness to extend a player last season when they signed swingman Jared Dudley to a five-year, $22.5 million extension. Lopez, at 7 feet and 23 years old, might be wishing to explore his value on the open market. "I've talked about it a little bit to my agent and Lon but I haven't really been thinking about it," Lopez said. "I've just been trying to think about playing right now. "That (a long-term future in Phoenix) sounds nice. That sounds comfortable, but I'd kind of like to live by the day. Right now, I'm trying to stay focused on what's at hand. At some level, I have a little bit of interest. You want to weigh your options. How everyone views those options or takes those options varies." Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Robin Lopez 

Emiliano Carchia: Looks like the Lopez brothers will join Besiktas soon. Brook as player, Robin just for practice. Twitter

New Jersey Nets, Phoenix Suns, Lockout, Brook Lopez, Robin Lopez, Turkey, Besiktas 

The Big Fella made sure to have his love felt across his team, including the rookies. Making sure they bring him milk and donuts every practice or else. He took great pride in having fellow center Robin Lopez carry his keyboard and drum beats on the airplane so he could produce his music. He also had Robin carry his chinchilla jacket and hat to the plane. His love didn't stop just at rookies, but extended to fans. After games he took time to shake hands or have a conversation with them. He understood he touched people's lives. Yahoo! Sports

Phoenix Suns, Shaquille O'Neal, Jared Dudley, Robin Lopez 

A group of eight NBA players went to Hawaii last week and hefted real M16s in a simulated firefight, got up close with an array of makeshift bombs, heard the coordinates barked for a desert air raid and ran in a stuffy, dimly-lit gym or two with soldiers either just back from, or headed to, Afghanistan and Iraq. Along the way, they showed that, despite the NBA lockout, the league still cares. Or at least some of its players do. The eight players -- Derrick Rose, Al Horford, Brook and Robin Lopez, Tyreke Evans, JaVale McGee, Mike Miller and D.J. Augustin -- did all that as part of a four-day USO tour of Oahu, the first featuring current professional athletes. They met with, and performed for, military personnel at Hickam Air Force Base and the U.S. Army's Schofield Barracks. ESPN.com

Javale McGee, Mike Miller, DJ Augustin, Al Horford, Derrick Rose, Lockout, Brook Lopez, Robin Lopez, Tyreke Evans, Hawaii 

"I don't think any one of us knew what we were getting into," Horford said. "I know I didn't. I just heard 'Hawaii' and said, 'Sign me up!' I couldn't have imagined the connection we'd make with all these troops, bonding with them just by talking about sports and family. Hanging out with the kids in the clinic was probably what I liked the most." The two clinics drew hundreds of kids, almost all of whom had never seen an NBA star in person, much less shook his hand and received a lesson in how to play the game. Then again, the instruction became secondary after the players realized these were kids who had not seen at least one of their parents in months and had no idea when or if they'd see them again. ESPN.com

Javale McGee, Mike Miller, DJ Augustin, Al Horford, Derrick Rose, Lockout, Brook Lopez, Robin Lopez, Tyreke Evans, Hawaii 

"Let's be honest, when we came over here we didn't really know that much about the troops and what they go through, leaving their families, Skyping with their kids, risking their lives every day," Rose said. "We leave our families and we're on the road and we face a lot of pressure, but it's not even close to what they deal with. And they're our age or even younger. It's amazing to meet them and talk with them and it definitely makes you feel you shouldn't take anything for granted." The eight players didn't just make their obligatory appearances, either. Brook Lopez, the Nets center, went to lunch and toured Honolulu with a soldier who shared his affinity for comic books. He also donned a padded jacket for a firsthand taste, despite protests by advisers, of what it's like to be attacked by a trained military canine. (Memo to Nets GM Billy King: He's fine. Not even a scratch.) ESPN.com

Javale McGee, Mike Miller, DJ Augustin, Al Horford, Derrick Rose, Lockout, Brook Lopez, Robin Lopez, Tyreke Evans, Hawaii 

Paul Coro: Robin Lopez is in Hawaii with seven other NBA players (twin Brook, Derrick Rose, etc.) for the Hoops for Troops USO Tour. Twitter

Chicago Bulls, Phoenix Suns, Derrick Rose, Lockout, Robin Lopez, Hawaii 

Gortat apparently told campers in Poland about how he was late for a film meeting on his first day with the Suns because he had asked Lopez where they start practice and went to the practice court. He also commented that Lopez had a chance to be the starting center and did not take it so he did. "There's no argument between me and him," Gortat said, feeling as though there was backlash to his comments. "The stuff that came out with what I said at the camp was just the first contact with Robin. I don't think there was any problem between me and him. Whatever happened didn't have any impact on me or on him. "We're still talking. We're still having the same conversation since Day 1. I don't think there's any problem in the team. I believe we're going to come back next year strong and hopefully we're going to fight for the starting job, me and him. It's going to be good for the team, hopefully. If he's going to win, then I'm going to try to be a strong player coming off the bench or opposite. Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Marcin Gortat, Robin Lopez 

In the video, which we had translated by several sources, Gortat was asked about his relationship with Lopez and talked about their first meeting and then went on to describe his thoughts on winning the starting job from Lopez. The story was picked up by multiple outlets which prompted a response from Gortat via Twitter: Twitter / @MGortat: i see people trying to put ... i see people trying to put me in f... up spot!!!! I heard im dogging my team mate????I wish to talk to that person he said that! SB Nation

Phoenix Suns, Marcin Gortat, Robin Lopez