The thinking around the NBA is that Brook Lopez will opt out of his contract with the Brooklyn Nets and re-sign on a max contract.

Lopez has $16.7 million remaining on his contract for the 15-16 season.

“If he walks, where are they going? They don’t have draft picks. They’re flip-flopping their pick [with Atlanta]. They’re getting the 29th instead of the 15th. For their future, I don’t see how they can lose him,” the GM said. “If Brook wants to stay there, he should be able to get whatever he wants.”

Lopez was nearly traded multiple times at the deadline, but the Nets kept him and he played some of the best basketball of his career.

The Nets can offer Lopez an extra season on his next contract.

“Why would they let him go?” an exec from the Central Division said. “Everything I see, he’s a good kid. And he can [bleeping] play.”

“If he leaves, then they are starting all over again,” yet another rival executive said. “He has proven he is healthy. There’s no question he’s always been a good basketball player. The question was ‘Can he come back from the injury?’ He’s shown he can, especially the last two months.”

Mirza Teletovic has been cleared for basketball activities after having blood clots in his lungs earlier in the season and being ruled out for the season.

"Mirza has been cleared to resume basketball-related activities," Billy King said in a statement. "Mirza will be listed as OUT for games, and if his status changes, we will update at the appropriate time."

“Over the last three months, Mirza has been closely monitored on blood thinners and follow-up testing has met our expectations," Dr. Michael Farber said. "The most recent bloodwork was normal and Mirza has been cleared to resume all basketball-related activities.

Teletovic last appeared in a game on January 22 at the Los Angeles Clippers.

The following are the matchups for the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs.

Western Conference
1. Golden State Warriors vs. 8. New Orleans Pelicans
2. Houston Rockets vs. Dallas Mavericks
3. Los Angeles Clippers vs. 6. San Antonio Spurs
4. Portland Trailblazers vs. 5. Memphis Grizzlies

Eastern Conference
1. Atlanta Hawks vs. 8. Brooklyn Nets
2. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 7. Boston Celtics
3. Chicago Bulls vs. 6. Milwaukee Bucks
4. Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards

Kevin Garnett was traded by the Brooklyn Nets to the Minnesota Timberwolves in February, and Paul Pierce said his former teammate is in a good place now.

"He's happy,'' Pierce said. "I'm glad he waived his no-trade clause. I told him, 'They don't appreciate you in Brooklyn, man.' They didn't even use him right.

"He's where he's supposed to be. He IS Minnesota. He never sold his house there.''

Pierce wanted to remain with the Brooklyn Nets in order to stay with Garnett.

"I would have stayed in Brooklyn because of Kevin,'' Pierce said. "I told him, 'I don't really like this situation but I would never leave you if you want me to stay.' But they decided not to re-sign me so I never had to make a choice. I would never have left Kevin like that.''

Paul Pierce discussed his tenure with the Brooklyn Nets last season, saying Deron Williams puzzled him and the team's veterans lacked the drive to elevate the team with he and Kevin Garnett as older players.

"Before I got there, I looked at Deron as an MVP candidate,'' Pierce said. "But I felt once we got there, that's not what he wanted to be. He just didn't want that. I think a lot of the pressure got to him sometimes. This was his first time in the national spotlight. The media in Utah is not the same as the media in New York, so that can wear on some people. I think it really affected him.

"I'm much happier. It was a tough situation (in Brooklyn) last year. Horrible, really. It was just the guys' attitudes there. It wasn't like we were surrounded by a bunch of young guys. They were vets who didn't want to play and didn't want to practice. I was looking around saying, 'What's this?' Kevin (Garnett) and I had to pick them up every day in practice.

"If me and Kevin weren't there, that team would have folded up. That team would have packed it in. We kept them going each and every day.''

Pierce and the Nets did not sign a new deal after he became a free agent last offseason.

"Joe is quiet,'' Pierce noted. "He doesn't want much attention. He doesn't say much.

"There's a lot of secondary guys on that team. KG and I went there looking at them as the main guys who would push us, because we were advancing in years. But we ended up doing all the pushing.''

The Brooklyn Nets have played much better basketball since acquiring Thaddeus Young from the Minnesota Timberwolves at the deadline for Kevin Garnett.

Brook Lopez has particularly benefited from the addition of Young. The presence of Young has allowed Lopez to move around the paint and score on a combination of jumpers and floaters.

“Yeah, he has picked things up pretty easily,” Deron Williams said. “We’re still getting better, but he’s been a great addition to this team. There’s no doubt about that. He’s giving us a different dimension scoring the basketball and just energy-wise. He’s been great for us.”

Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reports that Billy King had been working on the Garnett for Young trade all season.

Brook Lopez is expected to opt out of his contract for the 15-16 season, according to most executives.

Lopez has played extremely well of late, winning the Eastern Conference Player of the Week award in each of the past two weeks.

Lopez has a PER of 25.8 after the All-Star Game compared to 19.8 beforehand.

Injuries have plagued Lopez throughout his career but he's managed to remain healthy this season.

Brook Lopez and James Harden have been named the NBA's Players of the Week.

Lopez led the Nets to a 3-1 week, averaging 20.8 ppg on 59.4 percent shooting, 10.3 rpg and 2.0 bpg in 36.0 mpg. He posted two double-doubles and one 30-point game during his most recent four-game stretch. Lopez also won the award last week.

Harden averaged 36.8 points per game last week.

The Brooklyn Nets have expressed interest in Darius Adams and received a commitment for him to play on their Summer League team, sources tell RealGM.

Adams, who played collegiately at Indianapolis, is currently playing for Laboral Kutxa of the Euroleague and Liga ACB.

The Brooklyn Nets and Earl Clark have agreed upon a two-year deal with a team option for the 15-16 season, a league source tells RealGM.

Clark signed a 10-day contract with the Nets following the end of his season in China.

Clark was initially in the D-League this season.