HoopsHype.com Rumors

The Phoenix Suns are clearly very aware of Robin's funny-book addiction. See, after extending a $4 million qualifying offer that made Lopez a restricted free agent a couple of weeks back, the team's been working to bring back its backup center on a multiyear deal. Part of their recruitment campaign — at least, according to this clip released through the Suns' YouTube channel — is a video that casts the center as a superhero who "holds the power to change or alter the outcome with his presence" and should come back to the city he's protected (kind of?) for the past four years. Behold: Yahoo! Sports

Phoenix Suns, Free Agency, Robin Lopez 

Chris Haynes: Suns C Robin Lopez has been contacted by #Blazers during this moratorium, Lopez tells CSNNW. So far, that's the extent. Lopez, 7-1 is a RFA. Twitter

Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Free Agency, Robin Lopez 

Ken Berger: Phoenix contingent, including coach Alvin Gentry, also meeting with UFA Michael Beasley and own RFA Robin Lopez (via @PhoenixSuns). Twitter

Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Michael Beasley, Robin Lopez, Alvin Gentry 

Ken Berger: Suns announce they have extended qualifying offers to Robin Lopez and Aaron Brooks, making then restricted free agents. Twitter

Phoenix Suns, Free Agency, Robin Lopez, Aaron Brooks 

The Suns will put in the required tender offers on Robin Lopez and Aaron Brooks this week to make them restricted free agents. Any team will be able to recruit Lopez and Brooks. When either or both signs an offer sheet, the Suns will have the ability to match the contract to keep Lopez or bring back Brooks. The Suns can’t execute a sign-and-trade deal on Brooks because he was not on the team’s payroll last season. Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Free Agency, Trade, Robin Lopez, Aaron Brooks 

The Suns are getting some interest in Lopez but Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby said the team intends to retain Lopez because of his youth and the team’s need for rim protectors. Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Lon Babby, Robin Lopez 

The Suns will put in the required tender offers on Robin Lopez and Aaron Brooks this week to make them restricted free agents. Any team will be able to recruit Lopez and Brooks. When either or both signs an offer sheet, the Suns will have the ability to match the contract to keep Lopez or bring back Brooks. The Suns can’t execute a sign-and-trade deal on Brooks because he was not on the team’s payroll last season. Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Free Agency, Trade, Robin Lopez, Aaron Brooks 

The Suns are getting some interest in Lopez but Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby said the team intends to retain Lopez because of his youth and the team’s need for rim protectors. As for Brooks, the Suns already have Sebastian Telfair returning and could be doing one or two of the following things at that position – re-signing Steve Nash, drafting Marshall or signing a free agent point guard like well-traveled Raymond Felton or former Suns favorite Goran Dragic. Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Free Agency, Draft, Steve Nash, Raymond Felton, Lon Babby, Goran Dragic, Robin Lopez, Aaron Brooks, Kendall Marshall 

"We're obviously going to have to upgrade our talent," Gentry said. "We have to continue to get improvement out of our young players like Markieff (Morris). I think Jared Dudley has made improvements. We have to get Robin (Lopez) to the point where he's consistently playing (well). I don't think we're a championship team. But I definitely think with the addition of a couple of guys here and there in free agency, we can get back in the mix and be a factor, for sure." Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Free Agency, Jared Dudley, Robin Lopez, Alvin Gentry, Markieff Morris 

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