“I Just Want to Keep Winning”: Brook Lopez signs two-year, $18 million deal with the LA Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers recently strengthened their roster ahead of the upcoming 2025–26 National Basketball Association (NBA) season by signing center Brook Lopez to a two-year, $18 million deal in free agency.

Lopez had drawn interest from several teams, but the Clippers won the race to sign him, viewing him as a strong backup option to starting center Ivica Zubac. The 37-year-old opened up about his decision to join the Clippers, expressing his appreciation for how far the franchise has come since its early days.

“It’s crazy to see, but it’s very cool. Seeing the climb, the ascent — I’m a Cali boy. I grew up in the Valley, in North Hollywood. Obviously, things were very different back then. And to see where the Clippers have come now, it’s just astonishing. It’s beautiful. I’m glad to be a part of it, and hopefully, I can help them climb even further,” Lopez said.

“The money’s nice, but that’s not what it’s about for me. I love playing, I love hooping — I’ve loved it since I was a little kid. I watched my older brothers play. I’ve just always been around it, and I love winning just as much. I just want to keep winning. I got a great taste for it in Milwaukee, and these guys are all about that here — and I’m all about it. So, it’s a perfect fit,” he added.

The Clippers have recorded 14 consecutive winning seasons — the longest active streak in the NBA — and hold the league’s second-best record over the last 12 years, behind only the Golden State Warriors.

Brook Lopez spoke very highly of Intuit Dome and what Steve Ballmer has done with the Clippers:

“I was blown away. Their world class facility — more than world class. It’s the best in the world. I was absolutely blown away by what I saw. Seeing what Mr. Ballmer has done with the… pic.twitter.com/CzER0d8wBg

— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) July 14, 2025

Lopez will also reunite with Lawrence Frank, who currently runs the Clippers’ front office and was Lopez’s first NBA coach with the then–New Jersey Nets. He joins the Clippers after spending seven seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he averaged 13 points and 2.1 blocks per game. 

Over his 17-year career, Lopez holds a career average of 15.9 points per game.

It will be a role adjustment for Lopez with the Clippers, as he has been a consistent starter throughout his career but will now serve as a backup to Zubac, who was a candidate for NBA Defensive Player of the Year last season.

“I think we complement each other extremely well. Obviously, we’ll be very big. I think we’ll be great defensively — just dominating the paint, sealing it off. And then offensively, we complement each other there as well. I’ll spread the floor for him, give him all the room in the paint to go wild,” Lopez concluded.

Selected 10th overall by the New Jersey Nets in the 2008 NBA Draft, Lopez has also played for the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks. He won an NBA Championship in 2021, captured the NBA Cup in 2024, made the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2023, and earned an All-Star selection in 2013.

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