The Milwaukee Bucks face a pair of gigantic decisions in free agency this summer. One involves the future of Khris Middleton, as the team’s All-Star wing and the longtime running mate for Giannis Antetokounmpo declined the player option in his contract earlier this week and is going to hit unrestricted free agency.
The other involves Brook Lopez, as the veteran big man is likewise an unrestricted free agent. While Middleton has been the All-Star alongside Antetokounmpo, Lopez’s importance to the Bucks in recent years cannot be overstated, as his ability to shoot and defend at an elite level have been crucial to their success. Unsurprisingly, this means that he is a name that’s attracting interest elsewhere, and during the 2023 NBA Draft, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that the Houston Rockets want to bring him on board, going as far as to call the team a “real threat” to sign him.
"The Bucks are also facing Brook Lopez's free agency. There's an expectation that the Houston Rockets, flushed with a lot of salary cap space, are going to be a real threat for Lopez."
— @wojespnpic.twitter.com/36E1M8MnqY
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 23, 2023
For a team as young as the Rockets, which selected Overtime Elite’s Amen Thompson with the No. 4 overall pick in the Draft and got a potential steal in Villanova’s Cam Whitmore at No. 20, it would make sense to bring on board a steady veteran hand like Lopez who can provide a calming presence on both ends of the floor. Last season, the 35-year-old averaged 15.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in 30.4 minutes per game while connecting on 37.4 percent of his attempts from three.
