Brook Lopez will be on a new team for the first time in a long time after leaving the Milwaukee Bucks to join the LA Clippers. In Los Angeles, Lopez will almost certainly play a role he hasn't been in for a significant portion of his career, and that's as a backup. If that does indeed come true, then the move to let Lopez walk will look even better for Milwaukee.
Bucks needed to retool at center, and they certainly did
There won't be a starting center competition in Los Angeles next summer. After the best year of his entire NBA career, Ivica Zubac is LA's center of the future. Lopez knew this when he inked his deal, taking on a new role as a backup after serving as Milwaukee's starter for seven years. At this stage of his NBA career, that might be his best move.
Lopez was still impactful during his final few years with the Bucks, but it was clear he had taken a step or two back. His mobility waned, and his defense, which directly impacted the team's overall defense, suffered because of it. It's why the big man found himself benched in the NBA Playoffs, as he simply couldn't keep up with the much younger and more athletic teams.
The Milwaukee Bucks keeping Lopez and asking him to be a starter would have been a risky move, and this decision to go to Los Angeles proves it.
Instead, the Milwaukee Bucks did just what they needed to do by getting younger and more mobile at the center spot. The Myles Turner signing is gutsy, and the Bucks certainly have to be competitive to justify it, but on paper, it's everything they needed. He's a defensive menace who can form a strong one-two punch with Giannis Antetokounmpo while also rebounding and shooting the three.
None of this is to bash Brook Lopez, who will always be remembered fondly for his time in Milwaukee, but that doesn't mean he could best Father Time. He's simply not built for the big minutes, and given his age, that's not too surprising. In his new role, he could very well be a good fit with the LA Clippers.
A reserve is simply not the type of role Milwaukee would have needed Lopez in. The two parties going their separate ways could benefit both of them this coming season.
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