After a year off from splurging, Mikhail Prokhorov is prepping for another summer spending spree. Brook Lopez has opted out of the final year of his contract and will become a free agent, the Daily News first reported Friday, with an early expectation that he’ll re-sign with the Nets for big money. The 7-footer, who informed the Nets of his decision to forgo the $17 million three days before the deadline, is the key to Brooklyn’s offseason, the closest thing it has to a franchise player. GM Billy King expressed confidence early Friday morning that he would strike a deal with Lopez, making a thinly veiled reference to the advantage of owning the 26-year-old’s Bird Rights. “You get a vibe from guys being around. You get a vibe that they want to be part of (the Nets),” King said. “And like I said, we have tools in our favor to keep (Lopez and other top free agent Thaddeus Young).” Jason Kidd and the Bucks are reportedly interested in Lopez, who was healthy and productive last season after missing most of 2013-14 because of a second foot fracture. The Knicks, Lakers, Trail Blazers and Suns are among the teams with enough cap space to woo Lopez. Lopez is expected to command a max salary, with Yahoo! Sports reporting it as a three-year, $60 million extension. Lopez could structure the extension to opt out in 2017 and sign a much more lucrative contract under a much higher salary cap, the result of an influx of money coming to the league when the new TV deal kicks in. He’ll also be able to negotiate a trade clause into his next contract, an incentive for a player who has been shopped around intermittently over the last four years. - See more at:http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/b...ts-nets-contract-free-agent-article-1.2272936
