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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 

In the video below, Gortat is asked about his relationship with Lopez after Gortat beat him out for the starting center job. Gortat then proceeds to explain how his relationship with Lopez got off to a bad start.* Marcin said that on his first day in Phoenix he asked Robin if practice started on the court or with a video session. Robin told Marcin that he didn't know so Gortat went to the gym while Lopez went to watch video. According to Gortat, a coach came to get him and asked why he was late and Marcin said that he had asked Robin and was told he didn't know where practice was starting. The coach said everyone knew where they were supposed to be. Marcin took that as a sign of where things stood between himself and Lopez. SB Nation

Phoenix Suns, Marcin Gortat, Robin Lopez 

In an email response to this story, Robin Lopez said they usually don't know if practice is going to start on the court or the video room, "so there's a good chance I just didn't know when he asked me." SB Nation

Phoenix Suns, Marcin Gortat, Robin Lopez 

Gortat went on to talk about the opportunity that Lopez had to earn and keep the starting job. "This guy (Lopez) had such a big chance, such a big opportunity, to play in the best league. When I was Orlando, playing behind Dwight (Howard), I was praying to get a chance to play and he (Lopez) has had this chance for two years and he didn't take. So I thought, when you don't want it, there will be 50 persons behind you, waiting to take this chance, and then I came by and I took (it). Sorry, that's business, that's life." SB Nation

Phoenix Suns, Marcin Gortat, Robin Lopez 

11:31 a.m., via @DraftExpress: Seems like Robin Lopez's name is being thrown around quite a bit. Don't be surprised to see him moved on draft night. Oregonian

Phoenix Suns, Trade, Robin Lopez 

Chris Haynes: Robin Lopez of the Suns would be a great addition to the #Blazers since his name is being dangled out there. Plus, he's from Fresno, CA.! Twitter

Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Trade, Robin Lopez 

The Golden State Warriors would like to help them out with that by offering a trade, according to a tweet from John Gambadoro of 620 KTAR in Phoenix. Suns and Warriors have discussed trade scenarios in which Robin Lopez goes to Golden State and 11th pick plus (Ekpe) Udoh ends up with Phoenix NBCSports.com

Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Trade, Ekpe Udoh, Robin Lopez 

The Morris twins, Markieff and Marcus, are among the older (21) college prospects coming out, with three years at Kansas under their belts. The Morrises led Kansas to the Elite Eight and showed marked maturity in their junior season, and are compared favorably with another set of twins who made it in the NBA: Robin and Brook Lopez. Markieff is the slightly bigger twin who, like Robin Lopez, is expected to be a better defender and rebounder. Marcus is the better scorer, like Brook. Said a Southwest Division executive: "When they came into college, Marcus was the clear favorite. I think it's more equal now." "I think both of them have a chance," said a college coach whose team played Kansas this season. "There are character issues with both of them. But the progression they made from their frosh year is prettty remarkable. Obviouwly length will be an issue, especially with Markieff. He's more of a five. Marcus is strictly four." NBA.com

New Jersey Nets, Draft, Brook Lopez, Robin Lopez, Marcus Morris, Markieff Morris 

"That's probably been the biggest mystery for our team," coach Alvin Gentry said when asked why Lopez's progression has stopped. "In actuality, we really thought that he would probably be the second-most-important guy on our team, especially if he took a big leap. I'm not real sure if it's the injury or what, but he hasn't been able to give us the consistent play that we thought we'd be able to get from him. "We could use it. It's something that has hurt us a bit. We haven't really had much inside play. Gortat gives us some. Other than that, we've been pretty much resigned to the fact that we're a perimeter team. That hurts you when you're going to rely on jump shots night in and night out, even as good of a shooting team as we are." Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Robin Lopez 

Gentry said Lopez maintains he is fine physically. "One of the things that I thought had been a great thing was he was one of the big men that had great athleticism," Gentry said. "He's struggled in that department a bit. I'm not sure if he's completely healthy and not saying that. It's not the type of year he anticipated or we anticipated." Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Robin Lopez 

Even when Lopez played the first nine games, his performance lacked the same explosiveness of last season. He averaged 5.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 17.8 minutes in nine starts. The Suns wants to analyze how he handles Monday's and Tuesday's practices consecutively but liked the spring he had Sunday. "I think Robin's probably going to go (Wednesday)," coach Alvin Gentry said. "We'll see but he made a lot of progress. He had a good practice and doesn't seem to have any pain or anything. The big thing for him is going to be the conditioning part of it. He seemed to have a little bounce back and things like that."I was pleasantly surprised because I thought he'd had about as much bounce as I've seen this season really." Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Injuries, Robin Lopez 

Suns center Robin Lopez has begun one-on-one and two-on-two play during his rehabilitation from a knee injury and could return to full team practices next week. Lopez has been participating in game-day shootarounds but needs practice before he can resume game action. After Friday's home game, the Suns will have four off days with three practices that will benefit his return. "He's making progress, but he's still a couple weeks away," Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby said. Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Injuries, Robin Lopez