JULY 17, 7:30pm: The signing is official, per team press release.
JULY 8, 2:13pm: The Bucks will sign Lakers free agent center Brook Lopez, Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports tweets.
Lopez will sign a one-year deal for the team’s bi-annual exception, which is worth $3.382MM, Schultz adds in another tweet.
Milwaukee already has three centers on the roster in John Henson, Thon Maker and Tyler Zeller. This will likely end Zeller’s stay with the club, as his $1.93MM salary for next season is not guaranteed.
Lopez’s NBA career began in 2008/09 with the Nets but he’s still just 30 years old. He’s developed a 3-point game in his last two seasons, first with Brooklyn and then with the Lakers. He averaged 13.0 PPG and 4.0 RPG while making 34.5% of his long-range attempts. Lopez, who started 72 of 74 games last season, averaged 20.5 PPG the previous year as a bigger part of the Nets’ attack.
His ability to space the floor should open up more driving lanes for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Lakers moved on from Lopez by getting a free-agent commitment from JaVale McGee and drafting Michigan big man Moritz Wagner.
Good pickup for the Bucks
Watched him a lot last year. He’s a good dude, probably better than the Laker circus deserved.
Lol why? Bucks really love to have way more big men then needed in today’s nba
They’ve upgraded the position and can always move inexpensive bigs.
So give up on Thon? No one wants Henson.
You don’t have to give up on Thon because he’s only 21 and cheap. However, the Bucks are now a playoff contender. They may not have the liberty to just hand him the starting job. Lopez can man the position for a year or two but can also be moved at any time as needed.
That sucks. Really felt like the Lakers needed to bring him back. So I guess Zubac or MgGee are the starting center? I don’t like it.
I’d have preferred Lopez as well. That said, I am curious to see what Zubac can do with a little more playing time and the possibility that LeBron could make him and everyone else a little better.
Lakers plan this year.. Tank until they acquire Kawhi.
OF COURSE JAVALE “MVP” MCGEE
Rookie Wagner, deep shooter
Nice fit. There going to be very good this year
I like it. And at a price I would call a discount.
Good signing for the Bucks!
Like it with the price considered. Hope they can still bring back Parker.
Glad we didnt resign him, besides being a good leader dude is beyond slow and was a determent on the floor.
Awesome signing!!! Cheap, more talented then any of our centers, spreads the floor and allows us to trade Henson for nothing but a 2nd round pick just to get rid of the contract to sign Parker and still have space. Also great teacher for thon to have there every day. If we had Lopez and ilyasova last year we would have taken down Boston.
Wonder what this means for Jabari
Good fit for Milwaukee as a big to stretch the floor for them in certain lineups.
The Lakers must really like Wagner and Zubac. Wagner looks better than I thought he would. He has been surprisingly good on defense, in my opinion. I could see them giving him a long look in the rotation. I just assumed they’d add another piece
…I just remembered Milwaukee got Ilyasova too. I would assume either 1 or the other will be active at certain points
Why ? Why can’t they just develop maker ? He can hit the corner 3 and come playoff time he is vakuable because of his shotblocking & agility on defense. Lopez doesn’t fit for what the NBA is looking for.
I agree. I feel like this takes away from possible versatility at that spot, and I think Thon Maker probably should have played a couple of games in summer league this year to work on some things/show out and get ready to be a big contributor.
Because after this year they have to resign bledsoe, brogdon and middleton, which won’t happen. Developing maker will cost then wins which they can’t afford to have happen this year.
Won’t happen why? Middleton gets grand tours of the franchise; Brogdon won’t be expensive.
Agree about Maker, it will take him awhile.
Google his fighting style playing for Australia vs. Phillipines! Not bad but not really successful either.
They can switch them out as needed. The bar is set really low for bigs shooting 3s.
@lucky Thon shot under 30% from 3pt line vs Lopez who’s shot 35% for the last two years. If you value 3pt shooting from bigs to stretch the flour then Lopez is better. No issues with a Thon coming off the bench as needed. The two might compliment each other.
Great signing, great shooter & rim protector, not so good rebounding but that is why they have Giannis. I think they can share the PT between him & Maker. So they can get rid of Zeller & Henson, neither of them can contribute for their lives, so that is a great move, I think Milwaukee can compete with Boston to get to the ECF against Philly next year, mark my words.
Smart move.
Good fit on the court.
Gives Brook a chance to start again.
Cheap deal.
I gave Ersan a D+, this one an A.