It never feels good for fans to watch a franchise icon struggle when they join an opposing team, and that's what the Bucks are watching Brook Lopez do to start 2025-26. The longtime Bucks center, who was a massive part of the Bucks' 2021 NBA title run, signed with the Clippers this offseason after seven years in MKE.
It's been an inauspicious start to Lopez' tenure in Los Angeles, as he's averaging just over 15 minutes per game (down from nearly 32 per game last year) and hasn't been highly productive when he has played, averaging just 6.7 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.
Granted, Lopez is 37 years old, and he signed with the Clippers as a clear backup for starting center Ivica Zubac. So I don't think anyone expected his production to remain at the level it was for so long with the Bucks. But in year 18, Lopez has finally slowed down, and it looks like the Bucks may have made the correct decision in letting the veteran center sign elsewhere.
That is, as long as the Bucks can find a consistent frontcourt rotation of their own with Lopez out of the picture.
Brook Lopez is struggling, but Bucks could still use frontcourt depth
Right now, the Bucks' starting frontcourt duo of Giannis and Myles Turner is performing about as well as you can hope. When those two share the floor, the Bucks have a plus-9.9 net rating in 287 minutes. That's great!
Outside of those two, the Bucks have limited frontcourt options, though. Bobby Portis is shooting very well from 3-point range but his volume is down across the board and hasn't looked quite like himself for a while now. Jericho Sims is a near non-factor in the rotation, and Pete Nance remains an end-of-bench guy.
So, despite Lopez dealing with a considerably smaller role in Los Angeles, it's hard to look at the Bucks current frontcourt depth (or lack thereof) and wonder if there would still be a place for Brook after all.
The best-case scenario for this breakup would be that Lopez finds his niche with the Clippers while the Bucks figure out the best way to utilize their own frontcourt. If that happens, the Bucks will finally be vindicated for letting go of a longtime fan favorite while also being able to cheer for him in his new home.
At the moment, I would say they're about halfway there. Yeah, Lopez is struggling, but it's not like the Bucks have a cache of reliable center options that have taken his place. It's like that breakup where neither person is doing that well but neither wants to admit it, either.