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In an article on how the Wizards might construct a contract for the injury-prone Bradley Beal, Chris Mannix cites previously undisclosed protections in Brook Lopez's current deal protections that would limit the Nets liability if he had a recurrence of his foot injuries.
Mannix writes of how the Nets protected themselves in 2015 when Lopez signed a three-year max deal...
An example is Brooklyn’s recent deal with Brook Lopez, the skilled center who has been plagued by foot injuries. Last summer, Lopez signed a three-year, $60 million deal to stay with the Nets. The team protected itself by inserting language that permitted them to cut Lopez’s salary by 50 percent in 2016-17 and 75 percent in 2017-18 if Lopez suffers another significant injury to the fifth metatarsal in his right foot, with benchmarks Lopez can hit each season to fully guarantee subsequent years.
At the time, Nets officials told various media, including NetsDaily, that there were protections within the Lopez contract, but did not detail them. Moreover, none of the various salary data available on NBA sites contain the detail Mannix discusses.
Of course, it's possible that some of these protections no longer are valid. Lopez has now played 105 straight games: 53 regular season and six playoff games last year and all 46 this season. Lopez, had a complete foot reconstruction in January 2014, carried out Dr. Martin O'Malley, the Nets foot and ankle surgeon. O'Malley also reconstructed Kevin Durant's foot with similar success.