Multiple teams should have interest in this ex-Bucks champion

Brook Lopez is coming to the end of his career. The Milwaukee Bucks' big man has looked slow over the past 18 months. Nevertheless, he remains one of the more reliable perimeter shooting bigs and can still protect the rim when called upon.

Lopez, 37, has just wrapped up the final year of his two-year, $34.5M contract with the Bucks. He is an unrestricted free agent this summer. According to Matt Moore, who was writing in a June 9 edition of his Hardwood Paroxysm newsletter, Lopez could be suiting up for a new team next season.

“I’m not expecting the roster to look the way it does now,” Moore reported. “The team is likely to retain Kevin Porter Jr. and most everyone I’ve spoken to assume Brook Lopez is gone. Lopez might be one of the bigger names on the market. He’s certainly at the end of his career, but like Al Horford, he's a complete pro and a winner who’s easy to fit into a team culture and find a role for, and still makes a difference defensively night to night.”

Assuming Lopez doesn't choose to retire, he should expect multiple teams to be interested in his services. Teams like the Detroit Pistons or Toronto Raptors could be a smart landing spot for him as they're both rebuilding teams looking to take the next step and require some five-out spacing. 

Lopez won't be a starter moving forward. His value will come off the bench, where he will provide a two-way boost. However, any team that acquires him will need to accept he's not capable of playing at a high tempo. 

This past season, Lopez suited up for 80 games. He averaged 13 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.9 blocks per night, shooting 50.9% from the field and 37.3% from three-point range. Clearly, he can still bring value to the right team, even if only as a stop-gap in the overall development of a roster.

Lopez likely has one or two more years left in the tank and Milwaukee needs to move on. Therefore, it will be interesting to see where his next stop will be, and whether he will join a contending team or a rebuilding one in need of some genuine leadership.