At this point, one simply has to take a step back and notice the pattern with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Their most recent 144-118 loss to the San Antonio Spurs wasn’t just embarrassing—it was revealing. It exposed, yet again, how vulnerable Brook Lopez can be when opposing teams force him to defend on the perimeter and against speed. It went how it has always gone, and the Bucks looked completely outmatched as they struggled to put up a fight. And if Milwaukee is serious about fixing its biggest weaknesses before the NBA Trade Deadline, maybe they need to ponder making some changes.
It's an issue Bucks fans have been pointing out since the start of the Mike Budenholzer regime, but it's perhaps beginning to hit a boiling point this season as the Milwaukee Bucks continue to get run out the gym every other night by young and surging teams able to space the floor with shooting bigs.
Khris Middleton has been in trade rumors all this time, but perhaps it’s Brook Lopez who should be
Brook Lopez has been a defining piece of the Milwaukee Bucks’ defensive identity for years, anchoring their drop coverage and deterring shots at the rim. He's a net positive defender, and any argument to the contrary would be erroneous and even unfounded. But when teams pull him out of the paint, his weaknesses are glaring.
The San Antonio Spurs exploited that with ease like many young teams have thus far this season. Victor Wembanyama was constantly stretching the floor, forcing Brook Lopez to step out. San Antonio scored at will, and Lopez finished the night a -19 in 26 minutes as a starter, the second-worst behind only Andre Jackson Jr. Against the Spurs, he could only put up six points, five rebounds, three assists and a block.
This isn’t new. The Milwaukee Bucks have seen similar issues when facing teams that run five-out offenses or employ stretch bigs. If Lopez can’t reliably defend in those scenarios, it raises serious questions about his viability in a deep playoff run—where every matchup gets tougher. And that's just the problem: as the league continues leaning into the 3-point revolution, more and more starting centers are learning to space the floor.
The Milwaukee Bucks reportedly have Middleton on the trade block, but moving him comes with major risks. His chemistry with Giannis Antetokounmpo is irreplaceable. His ability to create in the half-court is still vital. His play-connecting ability is anchoring their offense for Giannis and Dame. And while injuries have taken their toll, he remains one of Milwaukee’s main options for tough shot-making when they need buckets.
Lopez, meanwhile, is 36, and while he isn't declining the way many expected, his limitations are getting harder and harder to gameplan around in a league where bigs are expected to embrace spacing.
None of this is to argue that he no longer brings immense value—his rim protection is elite, and he’s one of the most experienced bigs in the league. According to Cleaning the Glass, he's in the 89th percentile among centers in defensive rating, as opposing teams are shooting six points fewer per 100 possessions whenever Brook Lopez is on the floor. But this is only to say that if Milwaukee is looking to improve, perhaps Lopez should be the one dangled in trade talks.
This isn’t to say the Bucks must move Lopez. He’s still a crucial part of what they do, and for all his limitations, he remains a high-level contributor who has been with this iteration of the Bucks through its many ups and downs. But if there’s an upgrade available—particularly a big man who can provide similar size while being more mobile defensively—the Bucks should at least explore the possibility.
With the trade deadline approaching, Milwaukee has big decisions to make. If they’re serious about maximizing their title chances, they need to ask the hard questions. And one of those might be: Are they shopping the wrong guy? Should it be Brook Lopez over Khris Middleton? Time will tell how the front offices feels.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.