According to an ESPN report, Robin Lopez will decline his player option worth $5 million next season to remain with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The first domino of the Milwaukee Bucks’ offseason fell last night with Wesley Matthews opting out of his $2.7 million player option for next season.
Robin Lopez, the only other Buck with a player option for the 2020-21 season, followed suit with a decision of his own before Monday’s deadline and took the same path as Matthews. According to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Lopez will re-enter the free agent market after spending just one season with the Bucks.
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Many rightfully expected Matthews to opt-out of his deal to try and earn himself a raise, but this news regarding Lopez is a shocking turn of events.
Had Lopez exercised his player option, that $5 million owed to him seemed to be a bit pricey in its own right. It does not seem logical to believe he will get a raise from the Bucks or another franchise, given the numbers he put up this season.
Lopez had a decent season statistically for the Bucks, serving as the team’s backup big man to his twin brother Brook Lopez. In 66 regular season games with the team, Robin averaged 5.4 points on a .492/.333/.528 slash line, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game.
However, the big man was playing just 14.5 minutes per game with the Bucks, his lowest in almost a decade. His already lacking amount of playing time regressed as he became obsolete in the postseason, taking the court in just three of the team’s 10 games for a total of 21 minutes.
Robin Lopez had a turbulent 2019-20 season with the Milwaukee Bucks, but he must envision a better opportunity elsewhere to opt-out.
Perhaps that minimal role in the postseason served as a driving force in Robin’s decision making as he opted out. The big man will likely search for a more prominent role elsewhere as he enters the latter stages of his career, which is entirely justifiable for a player of his stature.
Along with that, Lopez’s salary could have easily been dangled in trade talks as the Bucks have been very active on the trade market.
Although Lopez declining his option is surprising, it does open up some more financial flexibility for the Bucks. The move allows Milwaukee to utilize their full $9.3 million mid-level exception, something that will be useful as they try to reshape their roster this offseason.
In fact, Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports reports that Milwaukee could be among potential suitors for shooting guard Avery Bradley, a player the Bucks would love to get their hands on. Lopez’s decision opens up the door for numerous opportunities and could be a blessing in disguise when it is all said and done.
With Matthews opting out of his player option and Robin Lopez surprisingly following suit, the Bucks already find themselves in the headlines. Hopefully, there is more news to come in the following days as the Bucks look to retool their roster ahead of a crucial title run next season.
Among the many questions facing the Bucks this condensed offseason, they now look to be in the market for a new center to support their depth around Brook Lopez.