Brook Lopez has always been a very good basketball player, but during the 2018-19 campaign, the veteran center was a revelation for the Milwaukee Bucks. Following his departure from the Los Angeles Lakers, Lopez became one of the league’s most dangerous stretch 5s, operating as a knockdown shooter from distance and rim protector for the team with the best record in the NBA.
With Milwaukee facing a bunch of other major decisions in free agency and a potential monster luxury tax bill, questions existed about whether the team would be able to afford his services. As we learned on Sunday, that will be the case. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that Lopez’s future will be resolved quickly, as he plans on returning to the Bucks on a four-year deal.
Once free agency opens at 6 PM ET, Brook Lopez is planning to sign a four-year, $52M deal to stay with the Milwaukee Bucks, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2019
Lopez was a picture perfect fit in Mike Budenholzer’s system in Milwaukee, averaging 12.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks in 28.7 minutes per game while starting all 81 games in which he appeared. His best asset was his ability to knock down triples, benefitting from defenses focusing on Giannis Antetokounmpo and connecting on 36.5 percent of his threes while hoisting up 6.3 per game, both of those marks signifying career-highs.
The man affectionately known as Splash Mountain’s shooting is his most valuable asset, but Lopez is a good basketball player outside of that and a delightful presence in the locker room to boot. It was presumed that some team was going to fork over the necessary years and cash to bring him on board because of this, and in the end, that team will once again end up being Milwaukee.
