The Milwaukee Bucks added length to their roster, which could help them become one of the top contenders for the Eastern Conference title next season.
The Bucks acquired free-agent center Brook Lopez, who played for the Los Angeles Lakers last season. Lopez did not get a new offer from the Lakers, who focused on retooling their roster with the arrival of LeBron James.
According to Chris Haynes of ESPN, Lopez agreed to sign a one-year contract for the biannual exception. The 30-year-old center, who will be playing for his third team after the Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets, will earn $3.4 million next season.
Brook Lopez Adds More Length To Milwaukee
The Bucks are expected to start Lopez at center next season, adding length to their frontline. According to Jack Maloney of CBS Sports, Lopez would be a great fit to Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The former Nets superstar is expected to give the Bucks their much-needed inside presence, which they lost after moving on from Greg Monroe last season. Lopez would give the Bucks a center who could matchup with the top big men in the Eastern Conference such as Andre Drummond, Hassan Whiteside, and Enes Kanter.
While he is not known for his rebounding, the All-Star center would provide an offensive boost to the Bucks. He averaged 13 points for the Lakers last season. Before moving to the Lakers, he posted an average of 20.5 points in 75 games for the Nets during the 2016-17 NBA season.
Lopez also has the ability to stretch the floor for the Lakers after developing a decent three-point shooting in the past two seasons. He had 1.8 three-pointers per game in his final year with the Nets and tallied 1.5 three-pointers per contest for the Lakers last season.
Milwaukee Still Weighing Options On Jabari Parker
Meanwhile, the Bucks are still playing the waiting game on Jabari Parker. The 23-year-old power forward is a restricted free agent, which means he can sign an offer sheet, but the Bucks have the right to match to keep him in Milwaukee.
According to FanSided's Behind The Buck Pass, Bucks general manager Jon Horst said on NBA TV that they are still negotiating with Parker. Horst said that they are still gauging the market value of Parker but insisted that they are talking to his camp every day.
"We've had great conversations, we're in contact every day," Horst said. "I think the market will dictate some of it, but we'll continue to work on it and we'll see how it turns out."
Parker, the second overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, averaged 12.6 points and 4.9 rebounds in 31 games last season. He was once touted as one of the most promising power forwards in the league, but his development was slowed down by knee injuries, tearing his ACL twice in his young NBA career.
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