After completely revitalizing his career with the Milwaukee Bucks, big man Brook Lopez is more than likely going to be a hot commodity in free agency. That’s bad news for the Bucks because he could command a contract that they might not be able to afford.
Lopez, who’s set to enter free agency this coming offseason, is one of the best rim protectors in the league. The Defensive Player of the Year runner-up led the NBA in blocks in 2022-23, and he is a major reason why the Bucks have one of the best defenses in the league. Lopez can also score points in a variety of ways: he can shoot 3-pointers, he can score in the post, and he can finish lobs.
After his back surgery this season, Lopez is also somehow now a much better defender in space, able to leverage his size to be able to defend the pick-and-roll effectively, even despite his lack of lateral quickness. This has made him a much more valuable asset on both ends of the floor.
Lopez, who made $13 million in his final contract year with the Milwaukee Bucks, could be looking to secure a hefty bag before his game starts to decline at 35. Milwaukee does have bird rights on him, but it will take a bit of a discount for the Bucks to retain both Lopez and star swingman Khris Middleton. Many teams will be looking to get the big man, and, with that said, let us look at four teams who could snag Lopez from the Milwaukee Bucks.
No. 4 – Los Angeles Lakers
Despite what the statistics say about their roster construction now, the Lakers are in need of a center, and Lopez would be a perfect fit for them.
Los Angeles finished the regular season with a defensive rating of 113.2 points per 100 possessions, which was tied for 13th in the league. But their 52.8 opponent points in the paint given up per game was good for 23rd.
Signing Lopez would give them a rim protector and a stretch big man who can space the floor for LeBron James and Anthony Davis, whose natural playing position has always been at the power forward slot.
The Lakers bowed out to the Denver Nuggets in a four-game sweep in the Western Conference Finals due in large part to the gargantuan contributions of Nikola Jokic. Lopez has always been one of the better defenders against more traditional centers around the league: he’s held guys like Joel Embiid and Nikola Vucevic to below 44 percent efficiency in the times they’ve met this season, according to matchup data on NBA.com/stats.
Los Angeles is also in dire need of more scoring options. Lopez was never known as a great shooter early in his career, but he has made a concerted effort to improve his range in recent years. He is now a career 36.5 percent 3-point shooter, and he has been even better this season, shooting 39.3 percent from beyond the arc.
With James’ possible retirement looming on the horizon, the Lakers might be forced to spend big money on win-now moves to maximize the time they have left with their core. The Lakers have the cap space to offer Lopez a big contract.
No. 3 Detroit Pistons
The Pistons are a young team with a lot of potential, but they lack a true defensive anchor in the middle. A starting-caliber center who can protect the rim and stretch the floor would be a major addition to this team.
The Detroit Pistons’ interior defense has been a major weakness for the team in recent years. In the 2022-23 season, the Pistons ranked 28th in the NBA in points allowed in the paint, allowing 54.0 points per game in the restricted area. They also ranked 24th in the league in field goal percentage allowed in the paint, allowing opponents to shoot 65.8 percent six feet from the basket. That’s on top of their 27th-ranked 3.8 blocks per game.
There are a number of reasons for the Pistons’ struggles on the interior. One reason is that they lack a true rim protector. Starting center James Wiseman is a fellow seven-footer just like Lopez but doesn’t have the defensive prowess that Lopez has cultivated throughout his 15 years in the NBA and isn’t necessarily what you’d call a defensive center. That also points to their lack of experience. Jalen Duren and Marvin Bagley are both still young and relatively unproven bigs.
Signing Lopez not only patches this hole in their defense but gives the Pistons’ younger centers a quality mentor to learn from going forward. They do have the assets to offer him a lucrative contract, and it’s entirely possible they’re the young team that’s rumored to have their eyes set on Lopez.
According to a report by The Athletic (Subscription required), the Houston Rockets are said to likely be active suitors of Lopez later this off-season. They have the cap space to make other interesting signings, too, not the least of which is former Rocket James Harden himself.
The Houston Rockets are a fairly young and interesting team. They’ve been rebuilding for a while now and are still struggling to find their identity post-James Harden.
There are clearly a lot of kinks to work out, as evidenced by their place in the standings, and interior defense is one of their weaknesses. Their interior defense is one of the reasons why they capped out the season with a 20-62 record. According to NBA.com/stats, they only defended 55.9 percent of 2-point field goals, which was the worst mark in the league in that category.
One key player in the Rockets’ interior defense is Alperen Sengun, a 6-foot-9 center who is also strong and athletic. He has a very sound offensive game that he can continue to grow on, but he’s generally not the best good defender in the post. Given his height, most other big men in the league also put him at a disadvantage down there. Other strong interior pieces like Jabari Smith Jr. have the body type to be effective defenders inside, but they lack the experience and the fundamentals.
The Rockets are also the second-youngest team in the NBA, with an average age of 23.6 up and down their roster. It’s chock full of young guys who would benefit from the presence and mentorship of more established veterans, which is why reports say even Khris Middleton is among the names that have been thrown around in possible moves for their front office.
The Rockets’ interior defense is a weakness that they will need to address if they want to be successful in the future. Signing Brook Lopez to help them start winning more games and mentor their young bigs might be a move they consider, as they certainly have the cap space to offer Lopez a more enticing contract.
The Mavericks are another team that could be a potential suitor for Lopez. The pairing of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving would benefit from the talents of a defensive big man, and Lopez would be a great fit.
It’s been a bumpy sort of journey finding the right sort of big man to pair with the talents of Luka Doncic. Kristaps Porzingis was injury-prone and didn’t have the best fit, and Christian Wood presented defensive issues. For a team with that much top-level talent on its roster, finishing 25th with its 116.1 defensive rating was unacceptable.
Dwight Powell, Christian Wood, and Maxi Kleber are a quality center rotation, but none of them are true defensive bigs who can make up for the deficiencies of Doncic and Irving. They’re all also relatively undersized for the position, and they are often outmatched by bigger teams, as evidenced by their 28th-ranked 3.7 blocks per game. And since they already traded their best defender in Dorian Finney-Smith, defense is more than likely at the top of their list of priorities.
Lopez would give Dallas a true rim protector and a stretch big man who can space the floor for Doncic. The Mavericks have the cap space to offer Lopez a big contract, and they are also a team that is on the rise. Once they unlock a sustainable defense, they would get closer to their playoff hopes.
The Milwaukee Bucks should keep him
But there’s another team that could get Brook’s contract: the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Milwaukee Bucks should keep Brook Lopez because he is a key part of their championship team. He is a dominant force on the defensive end, and he is a valuable offensive option as well.
With “Big Brook” holding down the painted area, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s talents as the league’s best safety handle-slash-help defender are much better utilized. Having Giannis defend big wings one-on-one or play center himself, while effective, is just not as robust as having the two big men on the floor together. In short, Lopez hasn’t just been an integral part of their defense. He is their defensive identity.
Lopez has also benefited from playing in a system that is well-suited to his strengths. The Bucks run a spread offense that allows Lopez to space the floor and operate in the pick-and-roll. This has allowed him to use his shooting and passing skills to create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates.
He is a dominant force on the defensive end, a valuable offensive option, and, more than anything else, a good teammate. He has also been a positive influence in the locker room throughout his entire Milwaukee Bucks tenure and is well-loved by all his teammates.
Lopez is a valuable asset to the Milwaukee Bucks. When you put two and two together, it’s clear that Lopez is a key part of the Bucks’ championship team. He is a two-time All-Star, an NBA champion, and one of the most respected players in the league. The Milwaukee Bucks should not let Lopez go. He is a valuable asset to the team and a key part of their championship hopes; any team would be foolish to let that kind of player slip through their fingers.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.