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Woj: Nets "strong front runners" to sign both Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young next week

By Net Income
Alex Goodlett/Getty Images

Adrian Wojnarowski --and others-- are reporting that the Nets are in the lead position to sign both Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young in the coming weeks, with the two likely to sign deals totaling $100+ million.  Officially, teams and players can begin talking next Wednesday but often times that's a formality and word of deals gets leaked early that day. Contracts can't officially be signed until July 9.

"{T]he Nets remain strong frontrunners to re-sign the frontcourt players, league sources told Yahoo Sports," writes Woj. Without saying the players have agreed to Brooklyn's offers, the Yahoo! writer lays out what he believes the terms of the deals will be.

Lopez is likely seeking a three-year, $60 million maximum contract extension, league sources said. The Nets are planning to pay the 7-footer that full market value, although an agreement could include some financial protections for the Nets should a recurrence of Lopez’s past foot issues sideline him again, sources said...

Young, 27, who opted out of $10.2 million owed him next season, is on course for a four-year, $48 million-plus deal in the free agency marketplace and the Nets appear strongly willing to meet those parameters, league sources said.

The only team mentioned as a possible suitor for Lopez has been Jason Kidd's Milwaukee Bucks. Most GMs believe Lopez will re-sign with the Nets, who drafted him in 2008.  Both players are 27 years old.

Bondy tweeted Friday what he's heard about the terms of Young's proposed deal.

That would be about $1 million more than what he would have received next year if he hadn't opted out. And indeed, an $11+ million starting salary would work out to be around the $48 million Woj is reporting.

Mike Mazzeo went further...

His colleague, Ohm Youngmisuk, has a similar outline to what Woj reported. "The Nets, though, are confident that Lopez will re-sign with the team, according to sources. Sources say one possible option for both sides is for Lopez to sign a three-year max deal."

And Tim Bontemps wrote trading Mason Plumlee to Portland for Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Steve Blake is a "loud message" on how the Nets feel about their chances with the two big men.

The Nets have two other free agents this summer. Alan Anderson is an unrestricted free agent and Mirza Teletovic is a restricted free agent after the Nets made him a $4.2 million qualifying offer last week. The Nets can match any offer the Bosnian sharpshooter will receive.  Whether they will if the offer is north of that $4.2 million figure is the question. Both players are over 30 and seeking long-term deals.

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