Reports: Blazers Could Land Pelicans C Robin Lopez In Trade [Updates]

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports on Twitter Wednesday that the Portland Trail Blazers are in the mix to land New Orleans Pelicans center Robin Lopez.

Portland is a possible destination for center Robin Lopez, with Indiana and others on a short list in pursuit, league sources tell Y!

If Pelicans don't waive Robin Lopez by Thursday -- paying 500K buyout -- his $5.1M and 5.3M salaries the next two years become guaranteed.

With so much trade interest in center Robin Lopez, it is unlikely the Pelicans will fail to guarantee his contract this week.

Marc Stein of ESPN.com had a similar note about a possible buyout on Twitter on Tuesday.

If Pelicans can't trade Robin Lopez, CAN buy him out by July 5 for mere $500,000 to work on needed flex for [Tyreke] Evans & Jrue Holiday's arrival

John Reid of the Times-Picayune reports on Twitter Wednesday...

No confirmation yet on rumored Pelicans center Robin Lopez's trade to Indiana.

No confirmation from source Pelicans center Robin Lopez has been traded, but he definitely being shopped - Pacers interested.

Update (Thursday):

Ailene Voison of the Sacramento Bee reports...

The Kings will not match the four-year, $44 million offer sheet that Tyreke Evans has agreed to sign with the New Orleans Pelicans. According to sources close to the situation, the new Kings management group instead is hoping to close Thursday on a sign-and-trade agreement involving Pelicans point guard Greivis Vasquez and backup center Robin Lopez.

Sam Amick of USA Today Sports reports Thursday...

Restricted free agent and former Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans has given the New Orleans Pelicans a verbal agreement that he will sign their four-year, $44 million offer sheet, a person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports.

...

It's unclear if the Kings have completely ruled out the possibility of matching the offer, but they are currently working on a sign-and-trade with the Pelicans in which Evans would go to New Orleans while Pelicans point guard Greivis Vasquez would go to Sacramento and Pelicans center Robin Lopez would go to the Portland Trail Blazers. It's unclear what Portland would give up in the deal, but it is not done and Sacramento is still considering other trade scenarios.

Jason Quick of The Oregonian reported on Twitter...

If 3-team deal reported.... goes down, Blazers would absorb contract of C Robin Lopez and give up nothing.

[see below]

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported on Twitter...

Free agent Jose Calderon passed on chance to sign w/ Kings, clearing way for Sacramento to complete 3-way deal w/ Pelicans, sources tell Y!

Kings wanted to sign Calderon, and move Pelicans' Greivis Vasquez elsewhere in three-way deal, sources tell Y! Sports.

In proposed 3-way deal, Kings send Tyreke Evans to Pelicans, Nola's Vasquez to Kings and Robin Lopez to Blazers. Portland sends picks and cash.

Here are Dave's thoughts from last month about possibly trading the No. 10 pick for Lopez.

Yes it can be done financially. Maybe it can be done talent-wise. It might be worth doing if you can't find any other centers or if you plan to make your big splash with a guard instead or if you believe in the Awesome Power of Meyers Leonard. Aldridge would be happy until he figures out that Lopez doesn't rebound, doesn't defend that well, has no face-up game, considers fouling a second religion, never passes the ball, and pretty much only blocks shots. His offense is efficient though. And he's cheap. In an ideal world he's my back-up center, not a starter. I might be able to get a back-up center with that 10 pick though, if I'm so inclined.

More thoughts from Dave here.

I could maybe see picking him up as a free agent if you believe he has more to give, but trading anything significant for him seems like a bad move.

One writer saw Lopez as one of five players the Blazers should target in free agency or trades this summer.

The Pelicans agreed to trade for Philadelphia 76ers point guard Jrue Holiday on the night of the 2013 NBA Draft and plan to offer Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans a four-year, $44 million contract, a deal the Kings are not expected to match, according to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.

Lopez, 25, is the twin brother of Brooklyn Nets All-Star center Brook Lopez. He averaged 11.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks for the Pelicans last season. He spent the first four years of his career with the Phoenix Suns and holds career averages of 7.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter