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.”