So it’s no surprise the former Trail Blazers center doesn’t mind being the second option. And that reportedly is where he stands in a commitment to the Knicks in free agency: He will sign with New York unless DeAndre Jordan does, according to ESPN and Bleacher Report. Terms of the deal were not reported.

MORE: 12 affordable free agents who can really help | NBA free agency tracker

This isn’t an everyday occurance in free agency, but you have to respect Lopez knowing his place. This is a guy who loves comic books, hates mascots and appreciates Sideshow Bob, so maybe the chill factor shouldn’t be a surprise.

The big question sure to occupy New York’s talk radio heads now is this: Who would you rather have?

Jordan, 26, led the NBA in rebounds per game and field goal percentage the past two seasons for the Clippers. He’s a vicious dunker without much else to his offensive game, but his pick-and-roll ability would be reminiscent of former Knicks center Tyson Chandler — with a nastier edge. Jordan, though, almost certainly would elicit a maximum-level contract as he decides between the Mavericks, Clippers and Knicks.

Lopez, 27, probably will be cheaper. He doesn’t dominate the paint like Jordan, but he is a very active player and probably has more developed ball skills. He also has shown smarter defensive tendencies on and off the ball. One downside is he doesn’t have Jordan’s iron-man tendencies — while Jordan hasn’t missed a game in the past four seasons, Lopez missed 23 last year.

The Knicks already have signed swingman Arron Afflalo and may be able to afford another addition if they save money with Lopez. But the unique contingency plan suggests the Knicks clearly prefer Jordan and were going to make Lopez wait otherwise.

Lopez reportedly chose the Knicks over the Lakers, though there was no confirmation as to him going to Los Angeles if Jordan chooses New York.

Yahoo Sports reported Jordan is 50-50 on the Clippers or Mavericks. But the Los Angeles Times reported that Jordan’s decision might not come in the next day or so and that he is still considering all four teams he interviewed with: Clippers, Mavericks, Lakers and Knicks.

So it sounds like we have plenty of time to yell about these two big men.