Report: Knicks and Bucks interested in Robin Lopez

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Portland Trail Blazers center Robin Lopez is expected to have a robust free-agent market after two of his best seasons, including a career year in 2013-14.

Shams Charania of RealGM.com reports that Lopez is expected to field offers from the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks and in an odd twist, the New Orleans Pelicans who Lopez used to play for.

From Charania

The New Orleans Pelicans, Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks are so far among the interested suitors for Portland Trail Blazers free agent Robin Lopez, league sources told RealGM.

Lopez has expressed his love of the Portland market many times and Charania also reports that the Blazers would “like to” re-sign Lopez.

Depending on how much money Lopez commands, it seems that it would be prohibitive for the Blazers if he is offered a big deal.

The Blazers just acquired Mason Plumlee via trade and already have Meyers Leonard on the roster. It also looks like they are going to hang on to back-up big man Chris Kaman. With the addition of young big man Noah Vonleh, the Blazers already have four bigs on the roster. Last year they closed the season with six big men on the roster.

Obviously nothing is set in stone until pen meets paper, but the Blazers look like they are filling out their frontcourt. Joel Freeland, whose qualifying offer is around $3.8 million, isn’t expected to get that offer before 9PM tonight.

With four big men already on the roster, it’s unclear the direction the roster will go in, mostly because those directions will be most likely decided by forces outside their control.

It’s also unclear which free-agents are going to be attainable. If you read Tom Ziller’s column about the Top 50 free-agents, it doesn’t look too good as far as potential free-agent candidates to bring in.