The Milwaukee Bucks are still trying to figure out what Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to do. For the first time, he has decided that he is open to asking for a trade and playing for another team.
That will dominate the offseason for the Bucks. Whatever his decision is will have massive roster implications for how they build the team for not just next season, but also for years to come.
The center spot is another spot that they have to figure something out, with Brook Lopez being 37 years old. Lopez has been the starting center in Milwaukee since 2018. He will become a free agent this summer, meaning the Bucks might have to find a new guy to start.
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The Bucks don’t have someone behind Lopez to immediately take over the starting duties if he were to sign elsewhere this offseason.
Unfortunately for them, it looks like they are going to have to find someone else. It looks like Lopez will leave Milwaukee and find another team to play for.
The Bucks will more than likely part ways with Lopez, leaving the door wide open for them to get a new center. That is a scary thought, especially if they don’t have Antetokounmpo next year.
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If the Bucks don’t re-sign Lopez, they would need Bobby Portis to opt into his deal. They can’t survive two centers leaving in free agency this summer.
Lopez was played off the floor at times in the playoffs against the Pacers. By the end of the series, he played only eight minutes in Game 5.
How Milwaukee replaces Lopez is going to be tricky. They don’t have a lot of cap space to sign a very talented center, so they might have to execute a trade.
Without Damian Lillard playing most of next season, this could be a good time for the Bucks to reset at certain positions. Center would be a good position to do just that.
This season, Lopez averaged 13 points, five rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. He shot 50.9 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from beyond the three-point arc.
In the playoffs, his stats dropped to five points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.8 assists. He shot just 36.3 percent from the field and 26.6 percent from three.
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