The Milwaukee Bucks are faced with a handful of crucial personnel decisions ahead of NBA free agency. One of them comes in the form of Brook Lopez, who for his part, will become a free agent this summer. Unless the Bucks are able to agree on an extension with the former All-Star, Lopez could very well walk away from the squad this summer.
Brook Lopez Reveals His Preferred Team — And It’s Not The Bucks
Brook Lopez himself recently went on NBA Today to speak with Malika Andrews about his future in the NBA. The 35-year-old was in a sprightly mood as he joked about wanting to join the Seattle SuperSonics:
“You know, actually, I was thinking Montreal, but they don’t even have a baseball team anymore, so that might not work,” Lopez said. “My choice really would be Seattle, honestly. My fear though, unfortunately, the Supersonics went away the year I was drafted. And so I feel like I might not get that chance because when I’m done, I feel like that year they’ll come back.”
For those that require context, Brook Lopez entered the NBA in 2008 as the 10th overall pick of the then-New Jersey Nets. It was in that same year that the SuperSonics franchise left Seattle to become the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Lopez wasn’t entirely serious about wanting to leave Milwaukee in order to move to Seattle (or Montreal). Perhaps he was just trying to lighten the mood with free agency officially set to open within the next 24 hours. A lot of Bucks fans are invested in Brook Lopez’s looming decision, and maybe he just wanted to have a bit of a laugh before things got too serious. The calm before the storm, perhaps?
Houston Rockets Emerge As A Serious Threat For Brook Lopez
One team in particular that has been heavily linked to a potential swoop on the 7-foot center is the Houston Rockets. They have a ton of cap space available and they could very well offer more money to Lopez than the Bucks can (or want to) spend. Houston is also in dire need of a veteran presence in their locker room to help guide their young and very promising core. In this respect, Brook Lopez does seem like a perfect fit.
Notably, Lopez pocketed $13.9 million with the Bucks last season. He is obviously looking to secure the best possible deal out there given that he is now entering the twilight of his career — if he hasn’t already.
It is worth noting, however, that according to earlier reports, Lopez is currently leaning towards re-signing with the Bucks. The Rockets are indeed a legitimate threat, but at this point, it appears that it’s Milwaukee’s race to lose.
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