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Bucks Get Good News on Brook Lopez, Efforts to Keep Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Dible | Last updated Jun 30, 2025 5:49 PM ET

Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo hasn't asked the Milwaukee Bucks for a trade, which means it's unlikely there is any movement on that front before the mid-season deadline in February.

However, like LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, Shams Charania reported earlier this month that Antetokounmpo is paying close attention to the Bucks' moves this offseason.

Milwaukee is bringing back forward Bobby Portis on a three-year contract worth $44 million, which Charania reported on Sunday . The next big free-agency action the Bucks are expected to pursue is a reunion with 37-year-old center Brook Lopez, who has frequently played the center position alongside Antetokounmpo at power forward.

Lopez and Antetokounmpo have been teammates for the last seven seasons, including when the Bucks won the championship in 2021. Lopez has made two NBA All-Defense teams over that run (second-team in 2020 and first-team in 2023). The seven-foot, one-inch center also finished in 10th-place and second-place in Defensive Player of the Year voting in those seasons, respectively.

Beyond his defense, which includes rim protection most crucially, Lopez provides floor spacing for the Bucks offense because of his 3-point shooting ability. That, in turn, provides space for Antetokounmpo to work on that end of the floor.

Lopez is likely to get real consideration from teams looking for a center this offseason, and Dan Woike of The Athletic reported Monday that he is one of the Los Angeles Lakers' top three targets. However, former Portland Trail Blazers big man Deandre Ayton is also among that group after reaching a contract buyout with his former franchise Sunday night.

Ayton's availability is great news for the Bucks, considering he is a far younger version of the same kind of defensive asset L.A. would be seeking in Lopez. Ayton turns 27 years old next month, while Lopez is already 37. Ayton isn't the same kind of rim protector that Lopez is, but he's a more effective rebounder and nearly just as tall.

The Golden State Warriors are also a potential candidate for Lopez's services, though Marc Stein reported Monday that former Boston Celtics big man Al Horford has emerged as the primary target to fill the center position in the Bay Area next year.

That is also good news for the Bucks in their attempt to re-sign Lopez, as his market should thin considerably if the Warriors and the Lakers look elsewhere to acquire a big man.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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