Apr 3, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez (11) warms up before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Could the 76ers Target Bucks' Veteran?

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Declan Harris | Last updated Jun 10, 2025 10:10 PM ET

The Philadelphia 76ers enter the offseason off of what was a rather tough season, one that saw them get hampered at each turn by the injury bug. Whether it was the newcomer Paul George or the franchise superstar Joel Embiid, among others, the Sixers struggled to stay on the court.

Looking at Embiid specifically, he only managed to make it onto the court 19 times last season, having struggled throughout the season due to an issue in his left knee. Given this limited availability, Nick Nurse was left to use a rotation of Guerschon Yabusele, Andre Drummond, and Adem Bona in the frontcourt.

While those options may have worked last season, there's a distinct possibility that Bona will be the only remaining player of the trio, given that Yabusele is set to become an unrestricted free agent, while Drummond has a player option for the 2025-26 season in his contract. With the potential lack of depth being a realistic picture, the 76ers' front office could be milling around the free agent market to fix it.

This could lead them towards targeting Brook Lopez, who, according to Matt Moore of Hardwood Paroxysm, is expected to leave the Milwaukee Bucks at the conclusion of the season.

"Everyone I’ve spoken to assume Brook Lopez is gone. Lopez might be one of the bigger names on the market," writes Moore.

The 37-year-old has been a cornerstone of the Bucks' frontcourt, being known as a sharpshooting big man. Last season was no different, as Lopez averaged 13 points and five rebounds per game, on 50.9 percent shooting from the field, and 37.3 percent from beyond the arc.

These numbers are beyond what Drummond managed with the Sixers last season, while being more comparable to what Yabusele averaged with 11 points and 5.6 rebounds, as well as an efficient 38 percent shooting from downtown.

The bigger stipulation that would come with signing the 37-year-old would be his acceptance of a backup role in the starting rotation. Lopez has been a name bolted into the starting five wherever he's played ever since the 2014-15 season, when he only started 44 of his 72 appearances that season.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia 76ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: