Saturday marked the official end of the basketball career of Slovenian legend Goran Dragic. The 15-year-old NBA guard was the center of attention at a charity basketball game that featured many other NBA top stars, including Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Chris Bosh. 16-year-old veteran Robin Lopez also took part in the game. Lopez and Dragic came to the NBA together with the Phoenix Suns in 2008.

In an interview after Dragic’s farewell game, Lopez talked about how his playing career will continue. Lopez revealed that he would be open to playing in Europe (YouTube link).

“I would definitely consider it. I know how passionate the fans are and how high the level of basketball is.”

The California native has not played in an NBA game since his trade from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Sacramento Kings in February. Sacramento released Lopez immediately after the transfer and he remained without a contract until the end of the transfer.

Last season, Lopez averaged 1.1 points in 4.1 minutes in 16 games with the Bucks.

In addition to the Suns and Bucks, Lopez has played for the New Orleans Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers, New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers.

16-year-old NBA veteran is open to continuing his playing career in Europe

Retirement is an option for Robin Lopez

In the same interview, Lopez spoke openly about the possibility of retiring from the NBA soon, saying, “If it happens, it happens.”

“If it happens, it happens,” he said. “I’ve had a great career so far, not as good as Goran’s, but I’m grateful for everything I’ve gotten.”

Although the 36-year-old was in the league last season, he hasn’t had a consistent role since averaging 17 minutes per game with the Magic in 2021-22. At 7-foot-5, Lopez offers good size and is a good veteran player for teams looking to add an additional big man. However, his on-court skills have deteriorated in the last few years of his career. Lopez can still be a solid addition to an NBA team in 2024. However, due to his age and the fact that he still hasn’t signed a contract as of late August, this doesn’t bode well for his NBA career.

The last word on Robin Lopez

If this is the end of Lopez’s time in the NBA, it’s fair to say he had a solid career. He played in the NBA for 16 years after being selected in the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft. He also played two stints with his twin brother Brook Lopez on the Bucks. Lopez was never an elite big man, but he was serviceable, especially at his peak.

His best season was arguably the 2013-14 season with the Trail Blazers. That year, Lopez started all 82 games for the team. In those games, he averaged 11.1 points on 55.1% shooting, 8.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. He also finished 15th in the vote for player with the greatest improvement.

Over the course of his career, Lopez averaged 8.4 points and shot 53.7% from the field. He also averaged 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 992 games.