Robin Lopez remained a restricted free agent and Hakim Warrick remained with the Suns on Wednesday night as significant issues remain in the way of a three-team trade agreement. Phoenix, New Orleans and Minnesota agreed to the structure of a three-way deal that would send Lopez and Warrick from the Suns to the Hornets and third-year swingman Wesley Johnson, a lottery-protected first-round pick and Brad Miller's contract to the Suns. The Suns would waive Miller, who has a buyout of about $800,000 and announced he would retire after last season. Phoenix would get the first-round pick that Memphis owes to Minnesota via Houston. That Grizzlies pick already has top-14 protection for the next four years before it would turn into a second-round pick and cash in 2017. The largest remaining issue is making the trade oblige with rules to get league approval. If the league rejects the trade parameters, Warrick would remain with the Suns and Lopez likely would remain with the Suns for his $4 million qualifying offer. In that case, Lopez would become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
